Cayman civil and statutory proceedings
What starts the Cayman defence service period?
Fourteen days after the later event, subject to special branches and leave. Serve the defence on the plaintiff. Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary.
- Period
- Fourteen days after the later event, subject to special branches and leave
- Trigger
- Later of acknowledgment-time expiry and service of the statement of claim
- Rule
- Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1). Official current index and full primary bodies retained October 10, 2026. The 2024 replacement Orders 1 and 64 and 2026 Order 24 rule 7A amendment are retained separately.
Source guide · No automated date
Check the applicable procedure
Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary. Establish later of acknowledgment-time expiry and service of the statement of claim and the actual completion required to serve the defence on the plaintiff.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)What lawyers say
5.0“The platform is really easy to use.”
Michael B.Employment litigation attorney · California
“The Evidence Record saved us time with our insurance on bankruptcy matters.”
MariaBankruptcy and commercial attorney · London, UK
“The most up-to-date service we could find.”
Li ChenArbitration practitioner · Singapore
What starts the Cayman defence service period?
Fourteen days after the later event, subject to special branches and leave. Serve the defence on the plaintiff. Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary.
Responsible actor. Defendant who gives notice of intention to defend.
Later of acknowledgment-time expiry and service of the statement of claim.
Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary.
Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)How does this provision count time?
- Establish later of acknowledgment-time expiry and service of the statement of claim.
- Serve the defence on the plaintiff.
- Compare acknowledgment-time expiry with actual statement-of-claim service before counting fourteen days after the later event.
- Serving the plaintiff is a distinct completion requirement. Do not carry a service boundary solely because the Court Office closes.
Compare acknowledgment-time expiry with actual statement-of-claim service before counting fourteen days after the later event.
Serving the plaintiff is a distinct completion requirement. Do not carry a service boundary solely because the Court Office closes.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)Which facts prevent one automatic date?
Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary. Establish later of acknowledgment-time expiry and service of the statement of claim and the actual completion required to serve the defence on the plaintiff.
Defendant who gives notice of intention to defend establishes later of acknowledgment-time expiry and service of the statement of claim. Compare acknowledgment-time expiry with actual statement-of-claim service before counting fourteen days after the later event. Fourteen days after the later event, subject to special branches and leave. Serve the defence on the plaintiff. Establish the actual completion facts before calculating a final date.
A proposed completion or status boundary intersects a closure or holiday while the party seeks to serve the defence on the plaintiff. Serving the plaintiff is a distinct completion requirement. Do not carry a service boundary solely because the Court Office closes. Establish the applicable closure and completion rule. This guide does not supply an assumed carried date.
The statement of claim is served after acknowledgment time has already expired. Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary. Resolve the changed source branch and required completion. The nominal period alone does not establish this scenario.
Which conditions and exceptions apply?
- Actual procedure and branch
- Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary.
- Count and complete the actual act
- Compare acknowledgment-time expiry with actual statement-of-claim service before counting fourteen days after the later event. Serving the plaintiff is a distinct completion requirement. Do not carry a service boundary solely because the Court Office closes.
- Actor and required completion
- Defendant who gives notice of intention to defend. Serve the defence on the plaintiff.
- Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary.
- Defendant who gives notice of intention to defend. Later of acknowledgment-time expiry and service of the statement of claim. Serve the defence on the plaintiff. Summary judgment, specific performance, jurisdiction applications and derivative actions can displace the ordinary branch. Both ordinary anchors are necessary.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What starts the Cayman defence service period?
Which of the two dates controls?
Whichever is later, acknowledgment-time expiry or statement-of-claim service.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)Does a late acknowledgment reset defence time?
Not ordinarily. Order 12 rule 6(2) prevents that assumption.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)What if summary judgment is sought first?
Order 18 rule 2(2) replaces the ordinary branch when its conditions apply.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)What if jurisdiction is disputed?
Rule 2(3) addresses dismissal or final determination of the jurisdiction application.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)Is service on the plaintiff required?
Yes. Filing alone does not satisfy rule 2(1).
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)Can the court specify a different period?
Yes. The rule and its special branches preserve court directions.
Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1)Official sources and review
Provisions used (4)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Grand Court Rules (2023 Revision), Order 18, rule 2(1) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Grand Court Rules, Order 3 rules 1, 2, 4 and 5 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Grand Court (Amendment) Rules 2024, rules 1–3 and replacement Orders 1 and 64 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Grand Court (Amendment) Rules 2026, Order 24 rule 7A | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |