Building Act 1984

7 Compliance or non-compliance with approved documents. E+W

(1) A failure on the part of a person to comply with an approved document does not of itself render him liable to any civil or criminal proceedings; but if, in any proceedings whether civil or criminal, it is alleged that a person has at any time contravened a provision of building regulations—

(a) a failure to comply with a [F1 relevant approved document] may be relied upon as tending to establish liability, and

(b) proof of compliance with such a document may be relied on as tending to negative liability.

[F2 (1A) In subsection (1) “relevant approved document” means a document approved for the purposes of the provision that applies in relation to the work in question.]

(2) In any proceedings, whether civil or criminal—

(a) a document purporting to be a notice issued as mentioned in section 6(3) above shall be taken to be such a notice unless the contrary is proved, and

(b) a document that appears to the court [F3 or tribunal] to be the approved document to which such a notice refers shall be taken to be that approved document unless the contrary is proved.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 7(1)(a) substituted (28.6.2022 for E., 5.9.2023 for W.) by Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30), s. 170(4)(b)(c), Sch. 5 para. 10(2); S.I. 2022/561, reg. 3(f), Sch. para. 10; S.I. 2023/914, reg. 2(b)(xiii), Sch. para. 7

F2 S. 7(1A) inserted (28.6.2022 for E., 5.9.2023 for W.) by Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30), s. 170(4)(b)(c), Sch. 5 para. 10(3); S.I. 2022/561, reg. 3(f), Sch. para. 10; S.I. 2023/914, reg. 2(b)(xiii), Sch. para. 7

F3 Words in s. 7(2)(b) inserted (1.10.2023 except in relation to W., 6.4.2024 for W.) by Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30), s. 170(4)(b)(c), Sch. 6 para. 10; S.I. 2023/993, reg. 2(o)(i) (with reg. 6); S.I. 2024/207, reg. 2(d)(xii) (with regs. 3, 4, 8-12)