{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-courts-children-act-1989-rules-1991/article-17",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-courts-children-act-1989-rules-1991/article-17.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1991/1395",
  "legislation_title": "The Family Proceedings Courts (Children Act 1989) Rules 1991",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-courts-children-act-1989-rules-1991",
  "path": "article/17",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "17",
  "heading": "Documentary Evidence",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), in any relevant proceedings a party shall file and serve on the parties, any welfare officer and any guardian ad litem of whose appointment he has been given notice under rule 10(5)–\n(a) written statements of the substance of the oral evidence which the party intends to adduce at a hearing of, or a directions appointment in, those proceedings, which shall–\n(i) be dated,\n(ii) be signed by the person making the statement, and\n(iii) contain a declaration that the maker of the statement believes it to be true and understands that it may be placed before the court, and\n(b) copies of any documents, including, subject to rule 18(3), experts' reports, upon which the party intends to rely, at a hearing of, or a directions appointment in, those proceedings,\nat or by such time as the justices' clerk or the court directs or, in the absence of a direction, before the hearing or appointment.\n(2) A party may, subject to any direction of the justices' clerk or the court about the timing of statements under this rule, file and serve on the parties a statement which is supplementary to a statement served under paragraph (1).\n(3) At a hearing or directions appointment a party may not, without the leave of the justices' clerk, in the case of a directions appointment, or the court–\n(a) adduce evidence, or\n(b) seek to rely on a document,\nin respect of which he has failed to comply with the requirements of paragraph (1).\n(4) In proceedings for a section 8 order a party shall–\n(a) neither file nor serve any document other than as required or authorised by these Rules, and\n(b) in completing a form prescribed by these Rules, neither give information, nor make a statement, which is not required or authorised by that form,\nwithout the leave of the justices' clerk or the court.\n(5) In proceedings for a section 8 order, no statement or copy may be filed under paragraph (1) until such time as the justices' clerk or the court directs.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "am",
      "affecting": "uksi/2007/2188",
      "affecting_title": "The Family Proceedings Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Rules 2007"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2930",
      "affecting_title": "The Magistrates' Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Rules 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2930",
      "affecting_title": "The Magistrates' Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Rules 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2930",
      "affecting_title": "The Magistrates' Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Rules 2005"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1991/1395/article/17",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T14:42:46.444420+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."
}