Parties
8.—(1) The respondents to relevant proceedings shall be those persons set out in the relevant entry in column (iii) of Schedule 2 to these rules.
(2) In any relevant proceedings a person may file a request in Form C2 that he or another person—
(a)be joined as a party, or
(b)cease to be a party.
(3) On considering a request under paragraph (2) the court shall, subject to paragraph (4)—
(a)grant it without a hearing or representations, save that this shall be done only in the case of a request under paragraph (2)(a), whereupon the clerk of petty sessions shall inform in writing the parties and the person making the request of that decision, or
(b)order that a date be fixed for the consideration of the request, whereupon the clerk of petty sessions shall give notice in writing of the date so fixed, together with a copy of the request—
(i)in the case of a request under paragraph (2)(a), to the applicant and the person to be joined if he is not also the applicant, and
(ii)in the case of a request under paragraph (2)(b), to the parties, or
(c)invite the parties or any of them to make written representations, within a specified period, as to whether the request should be granted; and upon the expiry of the period the court shall act in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) or (b).
(4) Where a person with parental responsibility requests that he be joined under paragraph (2)(a), the court shall grant his request.
(5) In any relevant proceedings the court may direct—
(a)that a person who would not otherwise be a respondent under these Rules be joined as a party to the proceedings, or
(b)that a party to the proceedings cease to be a party.