Administration of Justice Act 1970

32 Extension of existing powers of court to order disclosure of documents, inspection of property, etc.

(1) On the application, in accordance with rules of court, of a party to any proceedings in which a claim in respect of personal injuries to a person or in respect of a person's death is made, the High Court shall, in such circumstances as may be specified in the rules, have power to order a person who is not a party to the proceedings and who appears to the court to be likely to have or to have had in his possession, custody or power any documents which are relevant to an issue arising out of that claim—

(a) to disclose whether those documents are in his possession, custody or power ; and

(b) to produce to the applicant such of those documents as are in his possession, custody or power.

(2) On the application, in accordance with rules of court, of a party to any such proceedings as are referred to in subsection (1) above, the High Court shall, in such circumstances as may be specified in the rules, have power to make an order providing for any one or more of the following matters, that is to say—

(a) the inspection, photographing, preservation, custody and detention of property which is not the property of, or in the possession of, any party to the proceedings but which is the subject matter of the proceedings or as to which any question arises in the proceedings;

(b) the taking of samples of any such property as is mentioned in paragraph (a) above and the carrying out of any experiment on or with any such property.

(3) The foregoing provisions of this section are without prejudice to the exercise by the High Court of any power to make orders which is exercisable apart from those provisions.

(4) In this section " property " includes any land, chattel or other corporeal property of any description.