A Statement of Truth is a formal declaration prescribed by Civil Procedure Rules Part 22 and Practice Direction 22 by which a person verifies the accuracy and truthfulness of a document used in civil proceedings in England and Wales. It is the mechanism by which the civil courts ensure that the evidence and arguments placed before them are genuinely believed to be true by the persons advancing them. Without a valid statement of truth, most key court documents — including statements of case, witness statements, expert reports, and disclosure statements — are procedurally defective and may be struck out by the court under CPR Part 3.4(2)(b).

The statement of truth regime was introduced as part of the civil procedure reforms enacted by the Civil Procedure Rules 1998, which came into force on 26 April 1999 following the recommendations of Lord Woolf's Access to Justice report. Before these reforms, the primary mechanism for verifying documents in civil proceedings was the affidavit — a sworn statement administered by a solicitor, commissioner for oaths, or other authorised person under the Oaths Act 1978. The statement of truth replaced the affidavit as the standard verification mechanism for most purposes, making it simpler and less expensive to produce verified documents. However, affidavits remain required for certain specific applications, including applications for freezing injunctions and search orders.

The statement of truth is not a separate document in the traditional sense — it is typically a declaration appended to the end of the document being verified. However, where it is necessary to verify a document after the event, or to provide verification as a standalone attachment to a document, a separate Statement of Truth document is used. This template generates such a standalone verification statement that can be used to verify any document required to be verified under CPR Part 22.1.

The wording of the statement of truth is precisely prescribed by Practice Direction 22 and differs depending on the type of document being verified. For most documents — including statements of case and witness statements — the mandatory wording is: 'I believe that the facts stated in this [document] are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth.' For expert reports under CPR Part 35, additional wording is required confirming that the expert's opinions are genuinely held and that the expert has identified which matters are within their own knowledge and which are not.

The statement of truth must be signed by the correct person under PD 22. For statements of case, the signatory is the party, their litigation friend, or their legal representative. For witness statements, the signatory is the witness. For expert reports, the signatory is the expert. Signing a false statement of truth exposes the signatory to contempt of court proceedings under CPR Part 32.14 and the Contempt of Court Act 1981.

A Statement of Truth is needed whenever a document in civil proceedings in England and Wales falls within the categories specified in CPR Part 22.1 as requiring verification. This covers a wide range of documents across the lifecycle of civil litigation, from the initial statement of case through to the trial bundle and costs assessment.

The most common circumstances in which a statement of truth is required are as follows. First, at the outset of proceedings, when the claimant serves their claim form and particulars of claim under CPR Parts 7 and 16. The particulars of claim — setting out the facts on which the claim is based — must be verified by a statement of truth before service. Similarly, when the defendant files their defence (and any counterclaim) under CPR Part 15, the defence must be verified. A reply to the defence, if served, must also be verified. Second, during the disclosure phase under CPR Part 31, the disclosure statement — confirming that the disclosing party has carried out a reasonable search for documents and has complied with their disclosure obligations — must be verified by a senior responsible officer of the party under CPR Part 31.10(6). Third, when witness statements are exchanged in accordance with the court's directions order, each statement must be verified by the witness personally. Fourth, when an expert report is served under CPR Part 35, the expert must include in the report both the mandatory Part 35 declaration and the statement of truth. Fifth, when costs are assessed under CPR Part 47, the bill of costs must be verified.

A standalone Statement of Truth document — such as that generated by this template — may be needed where a document was originally filed or served without a statement of truth (necessitating a subsequent verification), where a party needs to provide formal verification of a document for use in foreign proceedings, or where the verification needs to be executed separately from the main document for practical reasons. It may also be useful in pre-action correspondence where one party requires formal verification of a document from the other party before agreeing to enter into a settlement or consent order.

A compliant Statement of Truth for use in civil proceedings in England and Wales under CPR Part 22 and Practice Direction 22 must contain five key elements.

First, a court header identifying the court (County Court, High Court, or Family Court), the claim number, and the full names of the claimant and defendant. This ensures the statement of truth is clearly associated with the correct proceedings and matches the heading of the document being verified.

Second, identification of the document being verified — stating its full title, type (statement of case, witness statement, expert report, disclosure statement, or other), and date. The document type determines the correct wording for the statement of truth, as Practice Direction 22 prescribes different language for different categories of document.

Third, the identity and capacity of the person signing the statement of truth. Practice Direction 22 paragraph 3.1 prescribes who may sign for each category of document. For statements of case, the signatory may be the party, their litigation friend, or their legal representative. For witness statements, only the witness may sign. For expert reports under CPR Part 35, only the expert may sign. Where the signatory is signing on behalf of a company or other legal person, their position or office must be identified under PD 22 paragraph 3.4.

Fourth, the mandatory verification wording in the form prescribed by Practice Direction 22. The exact wording depends on the document type and cannot be altered. For witness statements and most statements of case, the wording includes the belief statement and the contempt warning. For expert reports, additional wording is required concerning the expert's opinion and identification of matters within their own knowledge.

Fifth, the date of signing and the signature of the authorised person. Under Practice Direction 22 paragraph 2.6, the statement of truth must be dated. The statement of truth does not require witnessing, notarisation, or any form of certification — it is simply signed by the relevant person. However, the signatory must have read and understood the document they are verifying before signing, and must have an honest belief in the truth of the statements made in that document.