Section 7: Compliance or non-compliance with approved documents.

Building Act 1984 · 1984 c. 55View on legislation.gov.uk

Part I: Building Regulations

A failure on the part of a person to comply with an approved document does not of itself render him liable to any civil or criminal proceedings; but if, in any proceedings whether civil or criminal, it is alleged that a person has at any time contravened a provision of building regulations—

a failure to comply with a relevant approved document may be relied upon as tending to establish liability, and
proof of compliance with such a document may be relied on as tending to negative liability.

In subsection (1) "relevant approved document" means a document approved for the purposes of the provision that applies in relation to the work in question.

In any proceedings, whether civil or criminal—

a document purporting to be a notice issued as mentioned in section 6(3) above shall be taken to be such a notice unless the contrary is proved, and
a document that appears to the court or tribunal to be the approved document to which such a notice refers shall be taken to be that approved document unless the contrary is proved.

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.