Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to originating summons plaintiff evidence?
14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event. File plaintiff affidavit evidence and serve each defendant separately. Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event.
- Period
- 14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event
- Trigger
- First defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service
- Rule
- Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (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 originating summons plaintiff evidence?
14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event. File plaintiff affidavit evidence and serve each defendant separately. Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event.
Responsible actor. Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons.
First defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service
14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event
Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons. Non-ex-parte originating summons; First acknowledgment retained; Each served defendant acknowledgment retained; No contrary directions. Filing uses the first acknowledgment; service uses that particular defendant’s acknowledgment. Ex-parte evidence instead has a four-clear-day hearing rule.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)How does this provision count time?
- File plaintiff affidavit evidence and serve each defendant separately
- Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons uses the established first defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service. 14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event. 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 plaintiff affidavit evidence and serve each defendant separately. 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. Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event.
- Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event.
- A closed interparty or combined endpoint needs separate source qualification. An ordinary weekday calculation does not certify this boundary.
Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons uses the established first defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service. 14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event. 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 plaintiff affidavit evidence and serve each defendant separately. 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. Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event. 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 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons. First defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. First Acknowledgment Friday, October 9, 2026. This Defendant Acknowledgment Monday, October 12, 2026. All Affected Acknowledgments Retained true.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons. First defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. First Acknowledgment Friday, October 9, 2026. This Defendant Acknowledgment Monday, October 12, 2026. All Affected Acknowledgments Retained true. 14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event. Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event. | Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons. First defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service occurs on Monday, October 5, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. First Acknowledgment Monday, October 5, 2026. This Defendant Acknowledgment Thursday, October 8, 2026. All Affected Acknowledgments Retained true. 14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event. Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event. | A closed combined filing-and-service endpoint needs separately established completion treatment for both acts. |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons. First defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The complete eligibility and procedural facts are not established. First Acknowledgment not established. This Defendant Acknowledgment not established. All Affected Acknowledgments Retained not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Non-ex-parte originating summons | Filing uses the first acknowledgment; service uses that particular defendant’s acknowledgment. Ex-parte evidence instead has a four-clear-day hearing rule. |
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?
- Non-ex-parte originating summons
- Non-ex-parte originating summons
- First acknowledgment retained
- First acknowledgment retained
- Each served defendant acknowledgment retained
- Each served defendant acknowledgment retained
- No contrary directions
- No contrary directions
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons uses the established first defendant acknowledgment for filing; each defendant acknowledgment for service. 14 days after the applicable acknowledgment event. 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 plaintiff affidavit evidence and serve each defendant separately. 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. Do not merge the first filing event with every defendant’s service event.
- Plaintiff in a non-ex-parte originating summons. Non-ex-parte originating summons; First acknowledgment retained; Each served defendant acknowledgment retained; No contrary directions. Filing uses the first acknowledgment; service uses that particular defendant’s acknowledgment. Ex-parte evidence instead has a four-clear-day hearing rule.
- Filing uses the first acknowledgment; service uses that particular defendant’s acknowledgment. Ex-parte evidence instead has a four-clear-day hearing rule.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to originating summons plaintiff evidence?
Which acknowledgment starts plaintiff affidavit filing?
Order 28 rule 1A(1) uses acknowledgment by the defendant or at least one defendant where there are several.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)Does the first acknowledgment also start every service period?
No. Rule 1A(3) requires serving each defendant within fourteen days after that defendant acknowledges.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)Does an ex-parte summons use this fourteen-day branch?
No. Rule 1A(2) provides the separate before-hearing evidence requirement.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)Can the affidavit be filed without serving defendants?
Filing and service are separate obligations with potentially different anchors.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)Are these documents pleadings for summer omission?
This is affidavit evidence on originating summons, not automatically a pleading governed by Order 3 rule 3.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)Can Court directions alter the evidence schedule?
Yes. Rule 1A(8) permits contrary directions. Preserve the actual schedule.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (3)Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 28, rule 1A(1) and (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 |