The Family Procedure Rules 2010

Admissibility of Documents E+W

34.38.—(1) This rule applies to a document, referred to in paragraph (2) and authenticated in accordance with paragraph (3), which comprises, records or summarises evidence given in, or information relating to, proceedings in a court in another part of the UK , another Contracting State to the 1968 Convention or the 1988 Convention, [F1 Member State of the European Union] or State bound by the Lugano Convention, [F2 or by the 2007 Hague Convention,] and any reference in this rule to “the court”, without more, is a reference to that court.

(2) The documents referred to at paragraph (1) are documents which purport to—

(a) set out or summarise evidence given [F3 to] the court;

(b) have been received in evidence [F4 to] the court;

(c) set out or summarise evidence taken in the court for the purpose of proceedings in a court in England and Wales to which the 1982 Act [F5 , the Judgments Regulation [F6 ,] the Maintenance Regulation] [F7 or the 2007 Hague Convention] applies; or

(d) record information relating to payments made under an order of the court.

(3) A document to which paragraph (1) applies shall, in any proceedings in [F8 the family court] relating to a maintenance order to which the 1982 Act [F9 , the Judgments Regulation [F10 ,] the Maintenance Regulation] [F11 or the 2007 Hague Convention] applies, be admissible as evidence of any fact stated in it to the same extent as oral evidence of that fact is admissible in those proceedings.

(4) A document to which paragraph (1) applies shall be deemed to be authenticated—

(a) in relation to the documents listed at paragraph 2(a) or (c), if the document purports to be—

(i) certified by the judge or official before whom the evidence was given or taken; or

(ii) the original document recording or summarising the evidence, or a true copy of that document;

(b) in relation to a document listed at paragraph (2)(b), if the document purports to be certified by a judge or official of the court to be, or to be a true copy of, the document received in evidence; and

(c) in relation to the document listed at paragraph (2)(d), if the document purports to be certified by a judge or official of the court as a true record of the payments made under the order.

(5) It shall not be necessary in any proceedings in which evidence is to be received under this rule to prove the signature or official position of the person appearing to have given the certificate referred to in paragraph (4).

(6) Nothing in this rule shall prejudice the admission in evidence of any document which is admissible in evidence apart from this rule.

[F12 (7) Any request by [F13 the family court] for the taking or providing of evidence by a court in a State listed in paragraph (8) for the purposes of proceedings to which an instrument listed in that paragraph applies, or by a court in another part of the United Kingdom, shall be communicated in writing to the court in question.

(8) The States and instruments referred to in paragraph (7) are—

(a) a Contracting State to the 1968 Convention;

(b) a Contracting State to the 1988 Convention;

(c) a State bound by the Lugano Convention;

(d) Denmark, in relation to proceedings to which the Maintenance Regulation applies;

(e) a State bound by the 2007 Hague Convention,

but this paragraph and paragraph (7) do not apply where the State in question is a Member State of the European Union to which the Taking of Evidence Regulation (as defined in rule 24.15) applies.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in rule 34.38(1) substituted (18.6.2011) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/1328), rules 1, 35(a)

F2 Words in rule 34.38(1) inserted (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 31(a)

F3 Word in rule 34.38(2)(a) substituted (18.6.2011) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/1328), rules 1, 35(b)(i)

F4 Word in rule 34.38(2)(b) inserted (18.6.2011) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/1328), rules 1, 35(b)(ii)

F5 Words in rule 34.38(2)(c) inserted (18.6.2011) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/1328), rules 1, 35(b)(iii)

F6 Rule 34.38(2)(c): comma substituted (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 31(b)(i)

F7 Words in rule 34.38(2)(c) inserted (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 31(b)(ii)

F8 Words in rule 34.38(3) substituted (22.4.2014) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No.3) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/3204), rules 1, 134 (with rule 137); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2

F9 Words in rule 34.38(3) inserted (18.6.2011) by The Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/1328), rules 1, 35(c)

F10 Rule 34.38(3): comma substituted (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 31(c)(i)

F11 Words in rule 34.38(3) inserted (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 31(c)(ii)

F12 Rule 34.38(7)(8) substituted for rule 34.38(7) (20.12.2012) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2012 (S.I. 2012/2806), rules 1, 31(d)

F13 Words in rule 34.38(7) substituted (22.4.2014) by The Family Procedure (Amendment No.3) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/3204), rules 1, 134 (with rule 137); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2