{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-77.20",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-77.20.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1998/3132",
  "legislation_title": "The Civil Procedure Rules 1998",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998",
  "path": "rule/77.20",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "77.20",
  "heading": "Service on the defendant",
  "text": "(1) Except where rule 6.7 applies—\n(a) the claim form must be served personally in accordance with rule 6.5; and\n(b) the time within which a certificate of service must be filed under rule 6.17(2)(a) shall be within 7 days of service of the claim form.\n(2) Except where the defendant has given an address for service under rule 6.23(2)(a), a document other than the claim form must be served on the defendant personally in accordance with rule 6.22.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 77 Section 3 inserted (31.12.2025) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2025 (S.I. 2025/1229), rules 1(1), 3(3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/3132/rule/77.20",
    "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."
}