Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to sanctioned offer withdrawal protection?
28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial. Identify ordinary period without withdrawal or diminution absent leave. The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry.
- Period
- 28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial
- Trigger
- Making of offer and established trial commencement
- Rule
- Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(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 sanctioned offer withdrawal protection?
28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial. Identify ordinary period without withdrawal or diminution absent leave. The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry.
Responsible actor. Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer.
Making of offer and established trial commencement
28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial
Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer. Qualifying offer-to-trial interval; No Court leave permitting withdrawal; No pending substitute-offer application; Ordinary status branch does not cross an unresolved summer procedural-act/status interaction. A closer-to-trial offer and a Court-authorized withdrawal have separate treatment. A withdrawal application affects acceptance under rule 7(3).
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)How does this provision count time?
- Identify ordinary period without withdrawal or diminution absent leave
- Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer uses the established making of offer and established trial commencement. 28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them.
- Identify ordinary period without withdrawal or diminution absent leave. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry.
- The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry.
Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer uses the established making of offer and established trial commencement. 28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them.
Identify ordinary period without withdrawal or diminution absent leave. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer. Making of offer and established trial commencement 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. Offer Made At Least28Days Before Trial true. No Court Permission For Earlier Withdrawal true.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer. Making of offer and established trial commencement 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. Offer Made At Least28Days Before Trial true. No Court Permission For Earlier Withdrawal true. 28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial. The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry. | Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer. Making of offer and established trial commencement 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. Offer Made At Least28Days Before Trial true. No Court Permission For Earlier Withdrawal true. 28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial. The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry. | Monday, October 19, 2026 |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer. Making of offer and established trial commencement 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. Offer Made At Least28Days Before Trial not established. No Court Permission For Earlier Withdrawal not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Qualifying offer-to-trial interval | A closer-to-trial offer and a Court-authorized withdrawal have separate treatment. A withdrawal application affects acceptance under rule 7(3). |
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 offer-to-trial interval
- Qualifying offer-to-trial interval
- No Court leave permitting withdrawal
- No Court leave permitting withdrawal
- No pending substitute-offer application
- No pending substitute-offer application
- Ordinary status branch does not cross an unresolved summer procedural-act/status interaction
- Ordinary status branch does not cross an unresolved summer procedural-act/status interaction
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer uses the established making of offer and established trial commencement. 28 days after making for an offer at least 28 days before trial. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them. Identify ordinary period without withdrawal or diminution absent leave. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. The endpoint marks ordinary protection, not mandatory withdrawal or automatic offer expiry.
- Offeror of a qualifying sanctioned offer. Qualifying offer-to-trial interval; No Court leave permitting withdrawal; No pending substitute-offer application; Ordinary status branch does not cross an unresolved summer procedural-act/status interaction. A closer-to-trial offer and a Court-authorized withdrawal have separate treatment. A withdrawal application affects acceptance under rule 7(3).
- A closer-to-trial offer and a Court-authorized withdrawal have separate treatment. A withdrawal application affects acceptance under rule 7(3).
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to sanctioned offer withdrawal protection?
Can the offeror withdraw within twenty-eight days?
Rule 7(1) prohibits withdrawal or diminution during that period without Court leave for the qualifying early offer.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)Does the protection apply regardless of trial proximity?
No. Rule 7(2) addresses offers made less than twenty-eight days before trial.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)Does protection expiry withdraw the offer automatically?
No. Expiry of a minimum protection period is not an act of withdrawal.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)What if an application seeks a substituted smaller offer?
Rule 7(3) affects acceptance without leave while the relevant application is pending.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)Can the Court set another acceptance period after the application?
Rule 7(4) permits the Court to set a new period in the specified decision branch.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)Is this a deadline for the recipient to pay money?
No. It concerns restrictions on the offeror’s withdrawal or diminution.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(1)Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 22, rule 7(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 |