Chapter III – Oral proceedings and taking of evidence
(1)155 Minutes of oral proceedings and of the taking of evidence shall be drawn up, containing the essentials of the oral proceedings or of the taking of evidence, the relevant statements made by the parties, the testimony of the parties, witnesses or experts and the result of any inspection.
(2) The minutes of the testimony of a witness, expert or party shall be read out, submitted to him them, so that he they may examine them or, where they are recorded by technical means, played back to him them, unless he waives they waive this right. It shall be noted in the minutes that this formality has been carried out and that the person who gave the testimony approved the minutes. If his approval is not given, his the objections shall be noted. It is not necessary to play back the minutes or to obtain approval of them if the testimony has been recorded verbatim and directly using technical means.
(3)156 The minutes shall be authenticated by the employee responsible for drawing them up and by the employee who conducted the oral proceedings or taking of evidence, either by their signature or by any other appropriate means.
(4) The parties shall be provided with a copy of the minutes.
155See decision of the President of the EPO of 07.04.2025 concerning the audio recording of oral proceedings for the purpose of preparing the minutes of oral proceedings with the assistance of artificial intelligence (OJ EPO 2025, A32) and notice of the EPO of 7.04.2025 concerning the preparation of the minutes of oral proceedings held by videoconference with the assistance of artificial intelligence (OJ EPO 2025, A34).
156Amended by decision of the Administrative Council CA/D 6/14 of 15.10.2014 (OJ EPO 2015, A17), which entered into force on 01.04.2015.
See notice from the EPO of 30.03.2015 (OJ EPO 2015, A36).
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13.12.2007 - 31.03.2015Decision of the Administrative Council of 07.12.2006 (CA/D 10/06), (OJ EPO 2007, 8 and Special edition 1/2007)01.04.2015 - 31.03.2025CA/D 6/14 (OJ EPO 2015, A17)01.04.2025 -CA/D 20/24 (OJ EPO 2025, A16)
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EPC EPC 1973 R. 124 R. 76