{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/court-of-protection-rules-2017/part-17/chapter-1/rule-17.3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/court-of-protection-rules-2017/part-17/chapter-1/rule-17.3.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2017/1035",
  "legislation_title": "The Court of Protection Rules 2017",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/court-of-protection-rules-2017",
  "path": "part/17/chapter/1/rule/17.3",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "17.3",
  "heading": "Litigation friend without a court order",
  "text": "(1) This rule does not apply—\n(a) in relation to P;\n(b) where the court has appointed a person under rule 17.4 or 17.5; or\n(c) where the Official Solicitor is to act as a litigation friend.\n(2) A deputy with the power to conduct legal proceedings in the name of a protected party or on the protected party's behalf is entitled to be a litigation friend of the protected party in any proceedings to which the deputy's power relates.\n(3) If no-one has been appointed by the court or, in the case of a protected party, there is no deputy with the power to conduct proceedings, a person who wishes to act as a litigation friend must—\n(a) file a certificate of suitability stating that they satisfy the conditions in rule 17.1(1); and\n(b) serve the certificate of suitability on—\n(i) the person on whom an application form is to be served in accordance with rule 6.4 (service on children and protected parties); and\n(ii) every other person who is a party to the proceedings.\n(4) If the person referred to in paragraph (2) wishes to act as a litigation friend for the protected party, that person must file and serve on the persons mentioned in paragraph (3)(b) a copy of the court order which appointed that person.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/1035/part/17/chapter/1/rule/17.3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T23:07:10.291890+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."
}