Australia · Australian Capital Territory courts
When does the ACT reply to a defence period end?
14 days after defence service. File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. Rule 480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule 480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act.
- Period
- 14 days after defence service
- Trigger
- Effective service of the defence on that plaintiff
- Rule
- Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]
Authorised ACT Court Procedures Rules 2006 republication 73, effective August 1, 2026. Official current register and full authorised PDF retained. Legislation Act republication 126 and ACT published 2026–2027 calendars retained. Canberra. Compiled published ACT public holidays and rule 6300 standard Registry closures. Additional actual closures may be supplied but cannot remove compiled closures. The August bank holiday is excluded only for an act by or in relation to an authorised deposit-taking institution, outside this model.
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When does the ACT reply to a defence period end?
14 days after defence service. File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. Rule 480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule 480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act.
Responsible actor. Plaintiff who elects to file a reply.
Effective service of the defence on that plaintiff
14 days after defence service
A reply is actually elected; Actual defence service retained; Reply is not required merely to deny the defence allegations. Rule 480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule 480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]How does this provision count time?
- File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day
- Reply to a defence uses 14 days after defence service. Exclude the triggering day. Rule 6350 omits closed Registry days for a period of five days or less and omits December 25 through January 1 from the relevant action period. A before-appointment interval excludes both the act day and appointment day under Legislation Act section 151.
- File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. Apply the relevant Canberra completion-day rule in Legislation Act section 151A and Registry closures in rule 6300. This model refuses a closed backward completion endpoint instead of moving it beyond the required interval. Actual additional Registry closures must be retained.
- The court may extend or shorten the procedural period under rule 6351. The actual order replaces this ordinary source model.
Reply to a defence uses 14 days after defence service. Exclude the triggering day. Rule 6350 omits closed Registry days for a period of five days or less and omits December 25 through January 1 from the relevant action period. A before-appointment interval excludes both the act day and appointment day under Legislation Act section 151.
File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. Apply the relevant Canberra completion-day rule in Legislation Act section 151A and Registry closures in rule 6300. This model refuses a closed backward completion endpoint instead of moving it beyond the required interval. Actual additional Registry closures must be retained.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Actual effective service of the defence on that plaintiff on October12,2026. All stated branch facts apply.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Actual effective service of the defence on that plaintiff on October12,2026. All stated branch facts apply. 14 days after defence service. File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. The independent counted-date record retains any excluded days and controlling branch endpoints. | Monday, October 26, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Actual effective service of the defence on that plaintiff on December21,2026. The procedural count encounters the prescribed Christmas period. 14 days after defence service. File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. The independent counted-date record retains any excluded days and controlling branch endpoints. | Tuesday, January 12, 2027 |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | The actual prerequisite or controlling branch is absent. Rule480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act. The illustrative event date is Monday, October 12, 2026. Missing branch facts prevent an automated endpoint. Establish the source-specific actor, event and branch. Rule480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act. | Establish the source-specific actor, event and branch. Rule480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act. |
Fictitious established facts. These examples do not establish eligibility, effective service, relief or a direction.
Try these dates in the calculatorWhich conditions and exceptions apply?
- A reply is actually elected
- A reply is actually elected
- Actual defence service retained
- Actual defence service retained
- Reply is not required merely to deny the defence allegations
- Reply is not required merely to deny the defence allegations
- A reply is actually elected; Actual defence service retained; Reply is not required merely to deny the defence allegations. Rule 480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule 480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act.
- Rule 480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule 480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
When does the ACT reply to a defence period end?
What event starts the ACT reply to defence clock?
Effective service of the defence on that plaintiff. Plaintiff who elects to file a reply. Rule 480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule 480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]What must be filed or served for reply to defence?
File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. Complete it with Court Registry; defendant at the address for service. Latest ordinary completion date does not prove that the act occurred.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]When does the stated period apply to reply to defence?
14 days after defence service. A reply is actually elected; Actual defence service retained; Reply is not required merely to deny the defence allegations.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]Which material branch changes reply to defence?
Rule 480(1) makes the choice optional, while rule 480(3) fixes the filing cutoff once a reply is filed. Same-day service is a separate required act.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]How do closed days affect reply to defence?
Reply to a defence uses 14 days after defence service. Exclude the triggering day. Rule 6350 omits closed Registry days for a period of five days or less and omits December 25 through January 1 from the relevant action period. A before-appointment interval excludes both the act day and appointment day under Legislation Act section 151. File the elected reply and serve its sealed copy on the defendant on the filing day. Apply the relevant Canberra completion-day rule in Legislation Act section 151A and Registry closures in rule 6300. This model refuses a closed backward completion endpoint instead of moving it beyond the required interval. Actual additional Registry closures must be retained. Legislation Act 2001 sections 151 and 151A provide the separate statutory inclusion and completion rules.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT), rules 6300, 6350 and 6351 [R73]Can an order or another source term change reply to defence?
The court may extend or shorten the procedural period under rule 6351. The actual order replaces this ordinary source model.
Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026]Official sources and review
Provisions used (3)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT) r 480 (3) [R73, effective August 1, 2026] | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Court Procedures Rules 2006 (ACT), rules 6300, 6350 and 6351 [R73] | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Legislation Act 2001 (ACT), sections 151, 151A and 151C [R126] | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |