We are continuing our series on Civil Procedure Rules, highlighting some of the little known but common rules and hopefully explaining them in plain English.
The next rule we will be looking at is rule 5.3 – Court Documents.
The rule says:
Where any of these Rules or any practice direction requires a document to be signed, that requirement shall be satisfied if the signature is printed by computer or other mechanical means.
What does this mean?
In plain English, electronic signatures are valid on Court Forms. This means that you do not need to go to the time and expense of actually printing the form, signing it and scanning it back in. An electronic signature on a Court Form could be typed in. Naturally the danger is anyone could add someone’s signature to a document therefore, we recommend, using an image of your signature rather than typing your name, or using secure signing methods. If you are placing a signature on a document electronically, Practice Direction 5A, Paragraph 1 also requires the name of the person to be printed so that person can be identified.
You can find the full Civil Procedure Rules online (currently) at https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules
Any questions or support with the above please email us at: philip@whitecollarlegalandadmin.com or phone 0151 230 8931.