Rule 4025.Abolition of Practice and Procedure under Repealed Statutes.
Last amended December 27, 1995 · Last verified September 25, 2026
In one sentenceRule 4025 abolishes the practice and procedure of the repealed statutes that once governed depositions and discovery, leaving the discovery rules as the only procedure.
Full Text of Rule 4025
The practice and procedure provided in all former Acts of Assembly governing depositions and discovery, which have been repealed by the Judiciary Act Repealer Act (JARA), act of April 28, 1978, No. 53 and which are now part of the common law of the Commonwealth by virtue of Section 3(b) of JARA, are hereby abolished and shall not continue as part of the common law of the Commonwealth.
End
Plain-English Summary
Depositions and discovery were once governed in part by Acts of Assembly. The Judiciary Act Repealer Act (JARA) repealed those statutes but preserved their practice as common law under Section 3(b) of the act. This rule abolishes that surviving practice, so depositions and discovery run entirely on the rules in this chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the old deposition and discovery statutes still apply as common law?
No. The rule abolishes the practice and procedure of all former Acts of Assembly on depositions and discovery that JARA repealed.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 4025 amended November 20, 1978, effective April 16, 1979, 8 Pa.B. 3551; amended December 27, 1995, effective January 1, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 227. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (134437).
Source & verification. Rule text, the Official Note, and the amendment
history are reproduced verbatim from the Pennsylvania Code, Title 231, the official compilation
of rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Last verified September 25, 2026. ·
Official text
Also known as: abolition repealed statutes discoveryjara depositions and discovery