An objection to taking a deposition because of disqualification of the officer before whom it is to be taken is waived unless made before the taking of the deposition begins or as soon thereafter as the disqualification becomes known or could be discovered with reasonable diligence.
Art. 1454.Objections As to Disqualification of Officer; Waiver
Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title III. Production of Evidence · Chapter 3. Discovery · Enacted 1976 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 1454 waives an objection to the deposition officer's qualifications unless it is raised before the deposition begins or as soon as the disqualification becomes known or could have been discovered with reasonable diligence.
Full Text of Art. 1454
Amendment History
Acts 1976, No. 574, §1.
Plain-English Summary
Article 1443 defines who can serve as the officer at a deposition — a certified shorthand reporter or an official or deputy court reporter. Article 1454 addresses what happens if that officer does not qualify after all, or has some other disqualifying connection to the case, such as a relationship to a party or an interest in the outcome. An objection on that ground has to be made before the deposition begins, or as soon afterward as the disqualification becomes known or could be discovered through reasonable diligence, or it is waived.
The diligence standard gives the rule some flexibility. A party is not held to have waived the objection merely because the deposition already happened; if the disqualifying fact was hidden and only surfaced later despite reasonable effort to find it earlier, the objection can still be raised once it comes to light. What the article will not tolerate is sitting on a known or discoverable problem and raising it only when convenient.
Frequently Asked Questions
What disqualifies someone from serving as a deposition officer in Louisiana?
The article does not list specific grounds itself; it addresses the timing for objecting once a disqualification — such as failing to meet the officer requirements in Article 1443 or having a disqualifying connection to the case — exists.
When must you object to the deposition officer's qualifications?
Before the deposition begins, or as soon afterward as the disqualification becomes known or could be discovered with reasonable diligence.
Can you wait until trial to raise an officer-qualification issue?
Not if the disqualification was known or reasonably discoverable earlier. Waiting past that point waives the objection under Article 1454.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: objecting to deposition officer qualifications Louisianadisqualified court reporter Louisianadeposition officer disqualification LouisianaArticle 1454 Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure