Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to accept defendant sanctioned offer?
28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial. File and serve written acceptance on the defendant. The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer.
- Period
- 28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial
- Trigger
- Making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date
- Rule
- Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)
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 accept defendant sanctioned offer?
28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial. File and serve written acceptance on the defendant. The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer.
Responsible actor. Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment.
Making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date
28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial
Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment. Qualifying sanctioned offer or payment; Offer-to-trial interval established; No rule 7(3) pending withdrawal application; Rule 10(2) conditions satisfied; Acceptance elected. Later acceptance or an offer made closer to trial needs costs agreement or Court leave. It is not automatically impossible after twenty-eight days.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)How does this provision count time?
- File and serve written acceptance on the defendant
- Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment uses the established making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date. 28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them. 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.
- File and serve written acceptance on the defendant. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer.
- The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer.
- A closed interparty or combined endpoint needs separate source qualification. An ordinary weekday calculation does not certify this boundary.
Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment uses the established making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date. 28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them. 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.
File and serve written acceptance on the defendant. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer. This closed interparty or combined filing and service boundary is withheld pending separate qualification of section71 and the applicable Court procedure. The calculator refuses that boundary.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment. Making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Offer Made Friday, October 9, 2026. Actual Trial Commencement Friday, January 15, 2027. Pending Withdrawal Application false.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment. Making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Offer Made Friday, October 9, 2026. Actual Trial Commencement Friday, January 15, 2027. Pending Withdrawal Application false. 28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial. The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer. | Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment. Making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date occurs on Monday, September 21, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Offer Made Monday, September 21, 2026. Actual Trial Commencement Friday, January 15, 2027. Pending Withdrawal Application false. 28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial. The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer. | A closed combined filing-and-service endpoint needs separately established completion treatment for both acts. |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment. Making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The complete eligibility and procedural facts are not established. Actual Offer Made not established. Actual Trial Commencement not established. Pending Withdrawal Application not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Qualifying sanctioned offer or payment | Later acceptance or an offer made closer to trial needs costs agreement or Court leave. It is not automatically impossible after twenty-eight days. |
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?
- Qualifying sanctioned offer or payment
- Qualifying sanctioned offer or payment
- Offer-to-trial interval established
- Offer-to-trial interval established
- No rule 7(3) pending withdrawal application
- No rule 7(3) pending withdrawal application
- Rule 10(2) conditions satisfied
- Rule 10(2) conditions satisfied
- Acceptance elected
- Acceptance elected
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment uses the established making of the qualifying offer or payment; actual trial commencement date. 28 days after making, where made at least 28 days before trial. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them. 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. File and serve written acceptance on the defendant. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. The ordinary date is the no-leave acceptance window, not universal expiry of the offer.
- Plaintiff electing acceptance of defendant sanctioned offer or payment. Qualifying sanctioned offer or payment; Offer-to-trial interval established; No rule 7(3) pending withdrawal application; Rule 10(2) conditions satisfied; Acceptance elected. Later acceptance or an offer made closer to trial needs costs agreement or Court leave. It is not automatically impossible after twenty-eight days.
- Later acceptance or an offer made closer to trial needs costs agreement or Court leave. It is not automatically impossible after twenty-eight days.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to accept defendant sanctioned offer?
Does twenty-eight days automatically extinguish the offer?
No. Order 22 rule 15(2) permits later acceptance with costs agreement or Court leave.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)Must the offer be made sufficiently before trial?
The ordinary paragraph (1) branch requires it to be made not less than twenty-eight days before trial commencement.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)How does the plaintiff accept?
File with the Court and serve on the defendant a written acceptance notice.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)Does a pending withdrawal application matter?
Yes. Rule 15(1) is subject to rule 7(3). Retain the actual application history.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)What form applies to a sanctioned payment?
Rule 15(4) specifies Form No. 24 for acceptance of a sanctioned payment.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)Can a costs agreement remove the need for leave after the ordinary window?
Rule 15(2)(i) permits acceptance without leave where the parties agree liability for costs.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1)Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 15(1) | 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 |