Form 51: Electronic Filing Statement
Form 51 is the required signature-authenticity statement when submitting certain signed evidentiary court documents electronically.
Under Rule 193, when an affidavit or other signed document filed for evidence is submitted electronically, the lawyer or self-represented filer must provide Form 51 confirming the original appears genuinely signed and the submitted copy appears accurate.
When does Rule 193 require Form 51?
If an affidavit or another signed document is being filed for evidentiary purposes by electronic filing, Rule 193(1) requires a Form 51 statement from the filing party’s lawyer, or from the self-represented filing party. The document submitted must clearly identify its signatory. Form 51 is not a substitute for the affidavit itself, and it does not authorize filing through a channel the registry has not accepted.
How to prepare an electronic filing statement
- Check that electronic filing is allowed for your file and comply with the relevant registry arrangements under Rule 192 and any current practice directions.
- Obtain and review the original paper affidavit or signed evidence document before submitting the copy.
- Confirm the original appears to bear the identified signer’s original signature and that you have no reason to doubt authenticity.
- Compare the electronic copy with the paper document; confirm it appears to be a true copy and there is no reason to believe otherwise.
- Complete current Form 51 as the acting lawyer, or as the self-represented person, and send it with the electronically filed evidence document.
- Keep the original paper document for the period required under Rule 193(2), and be prepared to file it promptly if a judge orders its production.
How long must the original be kept?
Rule 193(2) requires retention until the earliest of the proceeding (including appeals) being finally disposed of, the appeal period expiring with no notice of appeal filed, or the date a judge orders that the original be filed. If a judge orders filing of the original, it must be filed promptly. Keep it safely rather than disposing of it after receiving an e-filing confirmation.
What about ordinary electronic filings and fax?
Rule 192 separately governs electronic filing, including required arrangements with the Court Services Branch. Form 51 concerns the additional statement for certain signed evidentiary documents; it is not required simply because every document is a PDF. Fax filings have their own Rule 194 and Form 52 cover-page procedure.
Practical example
A self-represented litigant has an original signed and commissioned affidavit and is allowed to submit evidence electronically. They check the scanned copy against the signed paper original, complete Form 51 and send both as required. They then keep the signed paper affidavit in case the court asks for it.
Common mistakes
- Submitting a signed evidentiary affidavit electronically without the Form 51 statement required by Rule 193.
- Signing a statement about authenticity without having inspected the original.
- Assuming Form 51 makes an unsigned affidavit sworn.
- Destroying the original immediately after transmitting the scan.
Official sources
- BC government Form 51 (PDF)
- BC Provincial Court Family Rules — Rules 192–193
- BC government Provincial Court family forms library
Primary-source review: October 13, 2026. Limited to the form and stated procedural requirements, not a certification of every circumstance or future amendment.