Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to reply to amended defence?
14 days after amended-defence service. Serve a reply or amend the existing reply where required. An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6).
- Period
- 14 days after amended-defence service
- Trigger
- Effective service of the amended defence
- Rule
- Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)
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.
Free calculator · No account needed
Calculate your deadline
Loading calculator…
What lawyers say
5.0“The platform is really easy to use.”
Michael B.Employment litigation attorney · California
“The Evidence Record saved us time with our insurance on bankruptcy matters.”
MariaBankruptcy and commercial attorney · London, UK
“The most up-to-date service we could find.”
Li ChenArbitration practitioner · Singapore
What period applies to reply to amended defence?
14 days after amended-defence service. Serve a reply or amend the existing reply where required. An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6).
Responsible actor. Plaintiff responding to an amended defence.
Effective service of the amended defence
14 days after amended-defence service
Plaintiff responding to an amended defence. Amended defence actually served; Reply required or existing reply to amend; No different court direction. Order 20 rule 3(4) extends the relevant terms to counterclaim pleadings; a third-party amended counterclaim has the paragraph (5) branch.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)How does this provision count time?
- Serve a reply or amend the existing reply where required
- Plaintiff responding to an amended defence uses the established effective service of the amended defence. 14 days after amended-defence service. 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.
- Serve a reply or amend the existing reply where required. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6).
- An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6).
- A closed interparty or combined endpoint needs separate source qualification. An ordinary weekday calculation does not certify this boundary.
Plaintiff responding to an amended defence uses the established effective service of the amended defence. 14 days after amended-defence service. 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.
Serve a reply or amend the existing reply where required. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6). 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 20, rule 3(3)(b)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Plaintiff responding to an amended defence. Effective service of the amended defence occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Plaintiff responding to an amended defence. Effective service of the amended defence occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. 14 days after amended-defence service. An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6). | Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Plaintiff responding to an amended defence. Effective service of the amended defence occurs on Monday, October 5, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. 14 days after amended-defence service. An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6). | A closed interparty completion requires separate Cap.1 section71 and applicable Rules qualification. No unverified service carry is inferred. |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Plaintiff responding to an amended defence. Effective service of the amended defence occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The complete eligibility and procedural facts are not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Amended defence actually served | Order 20 rule 3(4) extends the relevant terms to counterclaim pleadings; a third-party amended counterclaim has the paragraph (5) branch. |
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?
- Amended defence actually served
- Amended defence actually served
- Reply required or existing reply to amend
- Reply required or existing reply to amend
- No different court direction
- No different court direction
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Plaintiff responding to an amended defence uses the established effective service of the amended defence. 14 days after amended-defence service. 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. Serve a reply or amend the existing reply where required. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. An unamended existing reply stands under rule 3(6).
- Plaintiff responding to an amended defence. Amended defence actually served; Reply required or existing reply to amend; No different court direction. Order 20 rule 3(4) extends the relevant terms to counterclaim pleadings; a third-party amended counterclaim has the paragraph (5) branch.
- Order 20 rule 3(4) extends the relevant terms to counterclaim pleadings; a third-party amended counterclaim has the paragraph (5) branch.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to reply to amended defence?
Does an amended defence start another twenty-eight days?
Order 20 rule 3(3) specifies fourteen days after service of the amended defence.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)Can the plaintiff amend an existing reply?
Yes. Paragraph (3)(a) permits amendment where a reply was already served.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)Is a reply required despite no new issue?
The paragraph (3)(b) branch requires a reply if Order 18 rule 3 makes it necessary.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)Does the existing reply disappear if unchanged?
No. Rule 3(6) provides that the existing reply stands.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)Are counterclaim amendments covered?
Rule 3(4) includes counterclaims and defences to counterclaims, with paragraph (5) addressing the additional-party branch.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)Is the amendment-order date the service anchor?
No. The applicable period runs after effective service of the amended pleading.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b)Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 20, rule 3(3)(b) | 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 |