{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-32.2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-32.2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1998/3132",
  "legislation_title": "The Civil Procedure Rules 1998",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998",
  "path": "rule/32.2",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "32.2",
  "heading": "Evidence of witnesses—general rule",
  "text": "(1) The general rule is that any fact which needs to be proved by the evidence of witnesses is to be proved—\n(a) at trial, by their oral evidence given in public; and\n(b) at any other hearing, by their evidence in writing.\n(2) This is subject—\n(a) to any provision to the contrary contained in these Rules or elsewhere; or\n(b) to any order of the court.\n(3) The court may give directions—\n(a) identifying or limiting the issues to which factual evidence may be directed;\n(b) identifying the witnesses who may be called or whose evidence may be read; or\n(c) limiting the length or format of witness statements.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Rule 32.2(3) inserted (1.4.2013) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/262), rules 2, 12 (with rule 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Rule 32.2 in force at 26.4.1999, see Signature"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/3132/rule/32.2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:12:59.276840+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}