Northern Ireland civil procedure
When must a clinical-negligence defendant disclose damages reports in Northern Ireland?
Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits.
- Period
- Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings
- Trigger
- Actual close of pleadings
- Rule
- Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)
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 a clinical-negligence defendant disclose damages reports in Northern Ireland?
Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits.
Responsible actor. The clinical-negligence defendant or other party relying on medical damages evidence.
Actual close of pleadings.
Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits.
Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits. The result must identify medical evidence disclosure for the clinical-negligence defendant or other party relying on medical damages evidence. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)How does this provision count time?
- Establish actual close of pleadings.
- Disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties.
- Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 140 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
- Disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties. 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.
Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 140 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
Disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties. 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 25, rule 14(2)(i)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Fictitious established event on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Fictitious established event on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits. Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 140 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days. The independent ordinary endpoint is Tuesday, June 2, 2026 for medical-evidence-disclosure, not a different filing, service or entitlement date. | Tuesday, June 2, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Fictitious boundary event on Friday, November 14, 2025. The source-specific completion is disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties. Disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties. 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 ordinary medical-evidence-disclosure endpoint is Good Friday, April 3, 2026. RCJ Office closure cannot postpone this actual act merely because it prevents a different registry filing. Establish lawful completion on the controlling day or an actual variation. |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Actual close of pleadings is not established. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits. The selected period cannot replace that missing source fact. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits. | Actual close of pleadings is not established. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits. 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
- Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits.
- Counting and boundary
- Not later than twenty weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 140 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
- Required completion
- Disclose held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other parties. 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.
- Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits. The result must identify medical evidence disclosure for the clinical-negligence defendant or other party relying on medical damages evidence. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
- This procedure concerns the clinical-negligence defendant or other party relying on medical damages evidence. Its controlling event is actual close of pleadings. Do not use the plaintiff's ten-week period. A different court direction controls. Later evidence carries the separate 21-day and trial limits.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
When must a clinical-negligence defendant disclose damages reports in Northern Ireland?
Does the defendant share the plaintiff's ten-week interval?
No. The ordinary defendant damages-report branch uses twenty weeks under the stated provision.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)Is the report authoring date the procedural anchor?
The source interval uses the defined litigation event. A report's preparation date cannot silently replace it.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)Are liability reports part of this damages interval?
No. Liability evidence is subject to the separate simultaneous-exchange provision.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)Can directions require earlier exchange?
Apply any actual case-specific direction or permitted agreement. The default twenty weeks does not override it.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)Does this branch apply only to a named defendant?
The source identifies the defendant or other relevant party relying on medical damages evidence. Establish the actual actor.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)What disclosure must be proved?
Prove disclosure of the qualifying held medical damages evidence to the plaintiff and other required parties.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i)Official sources and review
Provisions used (3)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 14(2)(i) | 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 |