Administration of Justice Act 1985

64 Northern Ireland rules of court with respect to disclosure of expert evidence etc.

(1) Notwithstanding any enactment or rule of law by virtue of which documents prepared for the purpose of pending or contemplated civil proceedings, or in connection with the obtaining or giving of legal advice, are in certain circumstances privileged from disclosure, provision may be made by rules of court for requiring, in the case of civil proceedings of any description specified in the rules—

(a) a party who has been afforded a medical examination of another party to disclose to that other party the result of the examination;

(b) a party who proposes to adduce at the trial expert evidence with respect to medical matters, or matters of any other class specified in the rules, to disclose that evidence to every other party to the proceedings ;

and any such disclosure shall be made by the furnishing of any such document or documents as may be specified in the rules, and shall be so made by such time as may be determined by or in accordance with the rules.

(2) Provision may be made by rules of court as to the conditions subject to which expert evidence may be given in civil proceedings.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), rules of court made in pursuance of that subsection may make provision for prohibiting a party from adducing, except with the leave of the court, any expert evidence the contents of which were required to be, but have not been, disclosed by him in accordance with rules under subsection (1)(b).

(4) Any rules of court made in pursuance of this section may make different provision for different classes of cases and for other different circumstances.

(5) In this section " rules of court " means—

(a) rules of court made under section 55 of the [1978 c. 23.] Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 ; or

(b) county court rules made under Article 47 of the [S.I. 1980/397 (N.I. 13).] County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980 ;

and nothing in this section shall prejudice the generality of either of those provisions.

(6) Section 71 of the [1982 c. 53.] Administration of Justice Act 1982 (which is superseded by this section) shall cease to have effect.