How statements of case extend beyond claim and defence — the optional reply, and the Part 20 routes by which defendants bring their own claims into the litigation.
A defence is rarely the end of the pleadings: each side may have more to say, and a defendant may have claims of its own to pursue. This chapter begins with the reply — when one is worth filing, what it can and cannot add, and the effect of staying silent. It then works through Part 20, from counterclaims and their distinction from set-off, to the claimant's defence to counterclaim and the consequences of failing to serve one. Finally it covers claims against additional parties — how a non-party is drawn into proceedings and what relief can be sought — and contribution claims between co-defendants, including the basis of the right and how the court apportions liability.
