Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to notice to produce documents response?
Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response. Serve response stating inspection time and objections. One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served.
- Period
- Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response
- Trigger
- Effective service of the qualifying notice to produce
- Rule
- Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)
Official verified English consolidated chapter 4A, version October 1,2025. Acquired October 9, 2026, with the official current register and immutable verified PDF. Current verified official English consolidated chapter PDFs acquired October 9, 2026. Version dates retained per chapter register. No claim that a calendar proves future gale, black-rainstorm or emergency office closures.
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What period applies to notice to produce documents response?
Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response. Serve response stating inspection time and objections. One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served.
Responsible actor. Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice.
Effective service of the qualifying notice to produce
Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response
Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice. Documents referred to in qualifying pleading, affidavit, witness statement or report; Actual notice service; Response inspection event retained. The four-day response and later seven-day inspection are distinct obligations. Objected documents and grounds must be identified.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)How does this provision count time?
- Serve response stating inspection time and objections
- Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice uses the established effective service of the qualifying notice to produce. Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response. Exclude the effective event day. Order3 rule2(5)–(6) omits the specified Saturdays, general holidays, gale-warning days and black-rainstorm-warning days. Actual other Court-office closure matters where the act is required there. High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4), section 31(1), omits Summer Vacation for the applicable civil procedural period not exceeding one month unless the Court directs otherwise. Order 64 rule 1 supplies August 1 through August 31. Order 3 rule 3 separately covers pleading periods.
- Serve response stating inspection time and objections. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served.
- One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served.
Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice uses the established effective service of the qualifying notice to produce. Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response. Exclude the effective event day. Order3 rule2(5)–(6) omits the specified Saturdays, general holidays, gale-warning days and black-rainstorm-warning days. Actual other Court-office closure matters where the act is required there. High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4), section 31(1), omits Summer Vacation for the applicable civil procedural period not exceeding one month unless the Court directs otherwise. Order 64 rule 1 supplies August 1 through August 31. Order 3 rule 3 separately covers pleading periods.
Serve response stating inspection time and objections. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice. Effective service of the qualifying notice to produce occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Responsive Notice Served Thursday, October 15, 2026.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice. Effective service of the qualifying notice to produce occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Responsive Notice Served Thursday, October 15, 2026. Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response. One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served. | Thursday, October 15, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice. Effective service of the qualifying notice to produce occurs on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Responsive Notice Served Thursday, October 22, 2026. Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response. One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served. | Thursday, October 22, 2026 |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice. Effective service of the qualifying notice to produce occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The complete eligibility and procedural facts are not established. Actual Responsive Notice Served not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Documents referred to in qualifying pleading, affidavit, witness statement or report | The four-day response and later seven-day inspection are distinct obligations. Objected documents and grounds must be identified. |
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?
- Documents referred to in qualifying pleading, affidavit, witness statement or report
- Documents referred to in qualifying pleading, affidavit, witness statement or report
- Actual notice service
- Actual notice service
- Response inspection event retained
- Response inspection event retained
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice uses the established effective service of the qualifying notice to produce. Response within 4 specified-day-excluded days; inspection within 7 after response. Exclude the effective event day. Order3 rule2(5)–(6) omits the specified Saturdays, general holidays, gale-warning days and black-rainstorm-warning days. Actual other Court-office closure matters where the act is required there. High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4), section 31(1), omits Summer Vacation for the applicable civil procedural period not exceeding one month unless the Court directs otherwise. Order 64 rule 1 supplies August 1 through August 31. Order 3 rule 3 separately covers pleading periods. Serve response stating inspection time and objections. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. One notice-service date cannot prove when the responsive notice was actually served.
- Party served with an Order 24 rule 10(1) notice. Documents referred to in qualifying pleading, affidavit, witness statement or report; Actual notice service; Response inspection event retained. The four-day response and later seven-day inspection are distinct obligations. Objected documents and grounds must be identified.
- The four-day response and later seven-day inspection are distinct obligations. Objected documents and grounds must be identified.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to notice to produce documents response?
What starts the four-day response?
Effective service of the notice to produce under Order 24 rule 10(1).
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)Which documents may the notice identify?
Documents referred to in the qualifying pleadings, affidavits, witness statements or expert reports specified by the rule.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)Does the response simply agree to produce documents?
It must state an inspection time for nonobjected documents and identify objections with their grounds.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)When must inspection be offered?
Within seven days after service of the responsive notice. Retain that separate service event.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)Are four days ordinary calendar days?
No. Order 3 rule 2(5) excludes specified days from this short period.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)Can the original notice date start both endpoints?
The response clock uses the original notice. Inspection uses actual response service, not an inferred date.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2)Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 24, rule 10(2) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Rules of the High Court (Cap.4A), Order3 rules1–5 and Order64 rule1 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| High Court Ordinance (Cap.4), section31(1), including its endorsed-writ proviso | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap.1), section71(1)–(2) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| General Holidays Ordinance (Cap.149), section3 and Schedule | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |