{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/solicitors-disciplinary-proceedings-rules-2019/article-33",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/solicitors-disciplinary-proceedings-rules-2019/article-33.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2019/1185",
  "legislation_title": "The Solicitors (Disciplinary Proceedings) Rules 2019",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/solicitors-disciplinary-proceedings-rules-2019",
  "path": "article/33",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "33",
  "heading": "Adverse inferences",
  "text": "Where a respondent fails to—\n(a) send or serve an Answer in accordance with a direction under rule 20(2)(b); or\n(b) give evidence at a substantive hearing or submit themselves to cross-examination;\nand regardless of the service by the respondent of a witness statement in the proceedings, the Tribunal is entitled to take into account the position that the respondent has chosen to adopt and to draw such adverse inferences from the respondent’s failure as the Tribunal considers appropriate.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Rule 33 in force at 25.11.2019, see rule 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1185/article/33",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T22:38:07.129208+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."
}