Article 78 The counter-statement

(1)

Any counter-statement filed by the defendant must—

(a)

state which of the allegations in the statement of grounds he denies;

(b)

state which of the allegations he is unable to admit or deny, but which he requires the claimant to prove;

(c)

state which of the allegations he admits;

(d)

be verified by a statement of truth; and

(e)

comply with the requirements of Part 1 of Schedule 2.

(2)

Where the defendant denies an allegation—

(a)

he must state his reasons for doing so; and

(b)

if he intends to put forward a different version of events from that given by the claimant, he must state his own version.

(3)

A defendant who fails to deal with an allegation in a counter-statement shall be taken to admit that allegation.

(4)

But a defendant who—

(a)

fails to deal with an allegation; but

(b)

has set out in his counter-statement the nature of his case in relation to the issue to which the allegation is relevant,

shall be taken to require the allegation to be proved.