{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-courts-children-act-1989-rules-1991/article-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-courts-children-act-1989-rules-1991/article-7.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/7",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "Parties",
  "text": "(1) The respondents to relevant proceedings shall be those persons set out in the relevant entry in column (iii) of Schedule 2 to these Rules.\n(2) In any relevant proceedings a person may file a request in writing that he or another person–\n(a) be joined as a party, or\n(b) cease to be a party.\n(3) On considering a request under paragraph (2) the court shall, subject to paragraph (4)–\n(a) grant it without a hearing or representations, save that this shall be done only in the case of a request under paragraph (2)(a), whereupon the justices' clerk shall inform the parties and the person making the request of that decision, or\n(b) order that a date be fixed for the consideration of the request, whereupon the justices' clerk shall give notice of the date so fixed, together with a copy of the request–\n(i) in the case of a request under paragraph (2)(a), to the applicant, and\n(ii) in the case of a request under paragraph (2)(b), to the parties, or\n(c) invite the parties or any of them to make written representations, within a specified period, as to whether the request should be granted; and upon the expiry of the period the court shall act in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) or (b).\n(4) Where a person with parental responsibility requests that he be joined under paragraph (2)(a), the court shall grant his request.\n(5) In any relevant proceedings the court may direct–\n(a) that a person who would not otherwise be a respondent under these Rules be joined as a party to the proceedings, or\n(b) that a party to the proceedings cease to be a party.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2930",
      "affecting_title": "The Magistrates' Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Rules 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2001/615",
      "affecting_title": "The Magistrates' Courts (Transfer of Justices' Clerks' Functions) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Rules 2001"
    },
    {
      "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/7",
    "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."
}