If a CCJ is satisfied within 28 days of judgement it is not entered onto the public record. Once on the public record it stays there for 6 years. However Credit files are maintained by private companied called credit reference agencies. These are private profit making companied who make money selling information to the banks and credit companies. They take information from the public court records and from information supplied to them by the banks. In theory they could hold the information for ever but usually remove it after 6 years.