Where, under rule 5.3, a replica signature is printed electronically or by other mechanical means on any document, the name of the person whose signature is printed must also be printed so that the person may be identified. This paragraph does not apply to claim forms issued through the Claims Production Centre.

Statements of case and other documents drafted by a legal representative should bear his/her signature and if they are drafted by a legal representative as a member or employee of a firm they should be signed in the name of the firm.

Every document prepared by a party for filing or use at the Court must –

(1)	Unless the nature of the document renders it impracticable, be on A4 paper of durable quality having a margin, not less than 3.5 centimetres wide,

(2)	be fully legible and should normally be typed,

(3)	where possible be bound securely in a manner which would not hamper filing or otherwise each page should be endorsed with the case number,

(4)	have the pages numbered consecutively,

(5)	be divided into numbered paragraphs,

(6)	have all numbers, including dates, expressed as figures, and

(7)	give in the margin the reference of every document mentioned that has already been filed.

A document which is a copy produced by a colour photostat machine or other similar device may be filed at the court office provided that the coloured date seal of the Court is not reproduced on the copy.

Where a party is joined to existing proceedings, the party joined shall be entitled to require the party joining him to supply, without charge, copies of all statements of case, written evidence and any documents appended or exhibited to them which have been served in the proceedings by or upon the joining party which relate to any issues between the joining party and the party joined, and copies of all orders made in those proceedings. The documents must be supplied within 48 hours after a written request for them is received.

If the party joined is not supplied with copies of the documents requested under paragraph 3.1 within 48 hours, he may apply under Part 23 for an order that they be supplied.

The party by whom a copy is supplied under paragraph 3.1 or, if he is acting by a solicitor, his solicitor, shall be responsible for it being a true copy.

Registers of claims which have been issued are available for inspection at the following offices of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice:

(1)	the Central Office of the Queen’s Bench Division;

(2)	Chancery Chambers;

(3)	the Admiralty and Commercial Court Registry.

Rule 5.4C(1A) provides that the rules of court relating to access by a non-party to statements of case in force immediately before 2nd October 2006 apply to statements of case filed before that date as if they had not been revoked. For ease of reference, those rules are set out in the following paragraphs as they applied to statements of case, along with the relevant supplementary provisions previously contained in this practice direction.

A person who is not a party to proceedings may –

(1)	unless the court orders otherwise, obtain from the records of the court a copy of a claim form, but not any documents filed with or attached to or intended by the claimant to be served with such claim form, subject to paragraph 4A.3 and to any order of the court under paragraph 4A.4; and

(2)	if the court gives permission, obtain from the records of the court a copy of any other statement of case.

A person may obtain a copy of a claim form under paragraph 4A.2(1) only if –

(1)	where there is one defendant, the defendant has filed an acknowledgment of service or a defence;

(2)	where there is more than one defendant, either – (a)   all the defendants have filed an acknowledgment of service or a defence; (b)   at least one defendant has filed an acknowledgment of service or a defence, and the court gives permission;

(3)	the claim has been listed for a hearing; or

(4)	judgment has been entered in the claim.

The court may, on the application of a party or any person identified in the claim form –

(1)	restrict the persons or classes of persons who may obtain a copy of the claim form;

(2)	order that persons or classes of persons may only obtain a copy of the claim form if it is edited in accordance with the directions of the court; or

(3)	make such other order as it thinks fit.

A person wishing to obtain a copy of a document under paragraph 4A.2 must pay any prescribed fee and –

(a)   if the court’s permission is required, file an application notice in accordance with Part 23; or (b)   if permission is not required, file a written request for the document.

An application for permission to obtain a copy of a statement of case, or for an order under paragraph 4A.4, may be made without notice, but the court may direct notice to be given to any person who would be affected by its decision.

An application under paragraph 4A.3(2)(b) for permission to obtain a copy of a claim form must be made under Part 23.

An application notice under paragraph 4A.2(2) or paragraph 4A.3(2)(b) must identify the document or class of document in respect of which permission is sought and the grounds relied upon.

An application under paragraph 4A.4 by a party or a person identified in a claim form must be made –

(a)   under Part 23; and (b)   to a Master or district judge, unless the court directs otherwise.

The date on which a document was filed at court must be recorded on the document. This may be done by a seal or a receipt stamp.

Particulars of the date of delivery at a court office of any document for filing and the title of the proceedings in which the document is filed shall be entered in court records, on the court file or on a computer kept in the court office for the purpose. Except where a document has been delivered at the court office through the post, the time of delivery should also be recorded.

Filing by Facsimile

(1)	Subject to paragraph (6) below, a party may file a document at court by sending it by facsimile (‘fax’).

(2)	Where a party files a document by fax, he must not send a hard copy in addition.

(3)	A party filing a document by fax should be aware that the document is not filed at court until it is delivered by the court’s fax machine, whatever time it is shown to have been transmitted from the party’s machine.

(4)	The time of delivery of the faxed document will be recorded on it in accordance with paragraph 5.2.

(5)	It remains the responsibility of the party to ensure that the document is delivered to the court in time.

(6)	If a fax is delivered after 4 p.m. it will be treated as filed on the next day the court office is open.

(7)	If a fax relates to a hearing, the date and time of the hearing should be prominently displayed.

(8)	Fax should not be used to send letters or documents of a routine or non-urgent nature.

(9)	Fax should not be used, except in an unavoidable emergency, to deliver: (a)   a document which attracts a fee (b)   omitted (c)   a document relating to a hearing less than two hours ahead (d)   trial bundles or skeleton arguments

(10)	Where (9)(a) or (b) applies, the fax should give an explanation for the emergency and include an undertaking that the fee or money has been dispatched that day by post or will be paid at the court office counter the following business day.

(11)	Where courts have several fax machines, each allocated to an individual section, fax messages should only be sent to the machine of the section for which the message is intended.

The following paragraph of the Practice Direction describes the practice to be followed in any case in which a child’s name is to be changed and to which the 1994 Regulations apply.