Northern Ireland civil procedure
When must medical evidence be disclosed in a Northern Ireland injury action?
Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings. Disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant parties. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III.
- Period
- Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings
- Trigger
- Actual close of pleadings and evidence then held
- Rule
- Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)
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 medical evidence be disclosed in a Northern Ireland injury action?
Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings. Disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant parties. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III.
Responsible actor. The party proposing medical evidence in a non-clinical-negligence injury action.
Actual close of pleadings and evidence then held.
The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III.
The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III. The result must identify medical evidence disclosure for the party proposing medical evidence in a non-clinical-negligence injury action. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)How does this provision count time?
- Establish actual close of pleadings and evidence then held.
- Disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant parties.
- Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 70 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
- Disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant 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 ten weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 70 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
Disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant 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 7(a)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Fictitious established event on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Fictitious established event on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III. Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 70 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days. The independent ordinary endpoint is Tuesday, March 24, 2026 for medical-evidence-disclosure, not a different filing, service or entitlement date. | Tuesday, March 24, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Fictitious boundary event on Friday, January 23, 2026. The source-specific completion is disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant parties. Disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant 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 and evidence then held is not established. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III. The selected period cannot replace that missing source fact. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III. | Actual close of pleadings and evidence then held is not established. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III. 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 plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III.
- Counting and boundary
- Not later than ten weeks from close of pleadings. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 70 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
- Required completion
- Disclose the relevant medical evidence to the relevant 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 plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III. The result must identify medical evidence disclosure for the party proposing medical evidence in a non-clinical-negligence injury action. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
- This procedure concerns the party proposing medical evidence in a non-clinical-negligence injury action. Its controlling event is actual close of pleadings and evidence then held. The plaintiff's statement-of-claim medical evidence obligation remains separate. Later-acquired evidence uses another interval and the trial backstop. Clinical negligence uses Part III.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
When must medical evidence be disclosed in a Northern Ireland injury action?
Does the rule govern every expert report?
No. It concerns the stated medical-evidence branch in personal-injury proceedings. Other evidence has separate provisions.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)What if the report is obtained after the ordinary window?
The later-obtained report provision has a separate disclosure interval and pre-trial condition.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)Does possessing an old report establish the trigger?
The ordinary interval uses actual closure of pleadings and the qualifying report facts. Possession alone is insufficient.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)Can the parties agree another disclosure schedule?
Use the actual permitted agreement or court direction. Do not assume consent from silence.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)Which evidence is covered at the ordinary deadline?
The held-evidence branch covers the relevant medical evidence in the party's possession or power at the stated stage.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)Does this rule replace the plaintiff's claim-pleading evidence duty?
No. The statement-of-claim medical-evidence requirement remains a separate provision.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a)Official sources and review
Provisions used (3)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 25, rule 7(a) | 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 |