Northern Ireland civil procedure
When must maps, plans and photographs be disclosed before a Northern Ireland trial?
At least three weeks before trial commences. Give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility.
- Period
- At least three weeks before trial commences
- Trigger
- Actual commencement date of trial
- Rule
- Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3A
Current official revised XML accessed October 9, 2026, with retained amendment comparison. The June 2021 and February 2021 court PDFs are historical consolidation aids.
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When must maps, plans and photographs be disclosed before a Northern Ireland trial?
At least three weeks before trial commences. Give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility.
Responsible actor. The party producing a map, plan, drawing, photograph or model.
Actual commencement date of trial.
The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility.
The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility. The result must identify inspection opportunity before trial for the party producing a map, plan, drawing, photograph or model. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3AHow does this provision count time?
- Establish actual commencement date of trial.
- Give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission.
- At least three weeks before trial commences. Count 21 days backward from the actual hearing or trial boundary, excluding that boundary under Order 3 rule 2(3). Do not silently add a clear-day requirement absent from the operative provision.
- Give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification.
At least three weeks before trial commences. Count 21 days backward from the actual hearing or trial boundary, excluding that boundary under Order 3 rule 2(3). Do not silently add a clear-day requirement absent from the operative provision.
Give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3AWhat do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Fictitious established event on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. At least three weeks before trial commences. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Fictitious established event on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. At least three weeks before trial commences. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility. At least three weeks before trial commences. Count 21 days backward from the actual hearing or trial boundary, excluding that boundary under Order 3 rule 2(3). Do not silently add a clear-day requirement absent from the operative provision. The independent ordinary endpoint is Tuesday, September 22, 2026 for inspection-opportunity-before-trial, not a different filing, service or entitlement date. | Tuesday, September 22, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Fictitious boundary event on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The source-specific completion is give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission. Give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification. | The backward inspection-opportunity-before-trial interval may land on a nonworking service or Office day. No later endpoint is inferred because it could shorten the required notice. Establish actual completion and the controlling backward boundary. |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Actual commencement date of trial is not established. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility. The selected period cannot replace that missing source fact. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility. | Actual commencement date of trial is not established. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility. The selected period cannot replace that missing source fact. |
Fictitious established facts. These examples do not establish eligibility, effective service, relief or a direction.
Try these dates in the calculatorWhich conditions and exceptions apply?
- Applicable event and branch
- The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility.
- Counting and boundary
- At least three weeks before trial commences. Count 21 days backward from the actual hearing or trial boundary, excluding that boundary under Order 3 rule 2(3). Do not silently add a clear-day requirement absent from the operative provision.
- Required completion
- Give the other parties an opportunity to inspect and agree admission. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification.
- The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility. The result must identify inspection opportunity before trial for the party producing a map, plan, drawing, photograph or model. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
- This procedure concerns the party producing a map, plan, drawing, photograph or model. Its controlling event is actual commencement date of trial. The opportunity for inspection, not merely creation of the exhibit, is the required event. A special court order can permit another course. This affects evidential admissibility.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
When must maps, plans and photographs be disclosed before a Northern Ireland trial?
Does this include every document discovered?
No. The rule specifically addresses the identified materials intended for use at trial. General discovery is separate.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3ACan the trial date be estimated for this notice?
No. Establish the actual trial date and intended use before calculating a backward interval.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3AIs inspection the same as disclosure of trial materials?
No. The provision requires its stated production or availability step. A discovery list alone does not prove compliance.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3ACan an actual order change the ordinary interval?
Yes. Retain the actual evidence direction or permitted agreement and use its requirements.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3ADoes making a photograph three weeks early satisfy the rule?
No. The other parties must receive the required opportunity to inspect and agree admission.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3AWhat if a special order permits later use?
Establish that actual order and its conditions. The ordinary three-week opportunity cannot simply be assumed waived.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3AOfficial sources and review
Provisions used (3)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 38, rule 3A | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) 1980, Order 3 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) 1980, Order 64 rule 7 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |