Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to ordinary summons service notice?
At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing. Serve every other party. Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval.
- Period
- At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing
- Trigger
- Actual hearing day stated in the summons
- Rule
- Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3
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 ordinary summons service notice?
At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing. Serve every other party. Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval.
Responsible actor. Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons.
Actual hearing day stated in the summons
At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing
Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons. Ordinary summons; Actual hearing day; Not solely an extension or abridgment request; No contrary rule or direction. An application only to extend or abridge time may be served the day before. Weekend omissions concern intervening days, not an assumed service-office closure.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3How does this provision count time?
- Serve every other party
- Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons uses the established actual hearing day stated in the summons. At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing. Count backward from the actual appointment. Exclude both service and hearing days for the intervening clear-day interval. 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 every other party. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval.
- Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval.
Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons uses the established actual hearing day stated in the summons. At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing. Count backward from the actual appointment. Exclude both service and hearing days for the intervening clear-day interval. 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 every other party. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons. Actual hearing day stated in the summons occurs on Friday, October 30, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons. Actual hearing day stated in the summons occurs on Friday, October 30, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing. Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval. | Tuesday, October 27, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons. Actual hearing day stated in the summons occurs on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing. Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval. | Sunday, October 11, 2026 |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons. Actual hearing day stated in the summons occurs on Friday, October 30, 2026. The complete eligibility and procedural facts are not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Ordinary summons | An application only to extend or abridge time may be served the day before. Weekend omissions concern intervening days, not an assumed service-office closure. |
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?
- Ordinary summons
- Ordinary summons
- Actual hearing day
- Actual hearing day
- Not solely an extension or abridgment request
- Not solely an extension or abridgment request
- No contrary rule or direction
- No contrary rule or direction
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons uses the established actual hearing day stated in the summons. At least 2 clear intervening specified-day-excluded days before hearing. Count backward from the actual appointment. Exclude both service and hearing days for the intervening clear-day interval. 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 every other party. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. Do not move a backward service date later and destroy the required interval.
- Applicant on an ordinary interlocutory summons. Ordinary summons; Actual hearing day; Not solely an extension or abridgment request; No contrary rule or direction. An application only to extend or abridge time may be served the day before. Weekend omissions concern intervening days, not an assumed service-office closure.
- An application only to extend or abridge time may be served the day before. Weekend omissions concern intervening days, not an assumed service-office closure.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to ordinary summons service notice?
Do Saturday and Sunday count in the two clear days?
Order 3 rule 2(5) excludes specified days from a period of seven days or less. Sundays are general holidays.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3Can a time-extension-only summons use shorter notice?
Yes. Order 32 rule 3 permits service on the previous day for an application only extending or abridging time.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3Must the applicant serve only the opposing party?
The ordinary rule requires service on every other party to the proceedings.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3Does the hearing day count?
No. Two clear days must intervene between service and hearing.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3Can a Court direction replace the ordinary notice?
Yes. Rule 3 is expressly subject to Court direction and any different rule.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3Can a service date be carried forward across a weekend?
Not if that removes a required intervening day. Establish effective service and count the notice interval independently.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 32, rule 3 | 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 |