Hong Kong · civil procedure

What period applies to cfi statement of claim service?

14 days after notice of intention to defend. Serve the statement of claim on that defendant. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period.

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Period: 14 days after notice of intention to defend
Trigger: That defendant’s notice of intention to defend
Rule: Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 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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Establish the actual Hong Kong procedure

Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim. Serve the statement of claim on that defendant.

Use the main date field for That defendant’s notice of intention to defend. 14 days after notice of intention to defend.

Establish the actual High Court or statutory branch. Summer omission applies only where its precise source supports it.

The compiled public holiday calendar covers 2026 and 2027. Actual gale, black-rainstorm and other Court-office closures remain separate facts.

This calculation assumes:

The actual actor, operative event, complete relevant history and completion route are established.
No different operative Court order, permitted agreement or statutory period changes this ordinary branch.
Statement not indorsed on writ
Writ already served on that defendant
Actual notice of intention to defend
No contrary leave

Was the Court office closed on any day in this period? (optional)

Actual gale or black-rainstorm dates

Actual other Court-office closure dates

The plaintiff may serve with the writ or earlier after writ service. Each defendant has a separate relevant event.

That defendant’s notice of intention to defend

Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim. Statement not indorsed on writ; Writ already served on that defendant; Actual notice of intention to defend; No contrary leave. The plaintiff may serve with the writ or earlier after writ service. Each defendant has a separate relevant event.

Entry rules and timing exceptions

14 days from The defendant giving notice of intention to defend

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1Binding

Rule notes

Runs separately against each defendant. Subject to the Summer Vacation exclusion in O. 3, r. 3.

Calculation software, not legal advice. Check the current rule, orders and facts.

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What period applies to cfi statement of claim service?

14 days after notice of intention to defend. Serve the statement of claim on that defendant. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period.

Responsible actor. Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim.

That defendant’s notice of intention to defend

14 days after notice of intention to defend

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

How does this provision count time?

Serve the statement of claim on that defendant
Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim uses the established that defendant’s notice of intention to defend. 14 days after notice of intention to defend. 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 the statement of claim on that defendant. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period.
Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period.
A closed interparty or combined endpoint needs separate source qualification. An ordinary weekday calculation does not certify this boundary.

Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim uses the established that defendant’s notice of intention to defend. 14 days after notice of intention to defend. 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 the statement of claim on that defendant. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period. 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 18, rule 1

What do independently checked examples show?

Fictitious example

Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim. That defendant’s notice of intention to defend occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply.

Example counting steps
Step	What is counted	Date
Example 1. Ordinary established facts	Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim. That defendant’s notice of intention to defend occurs on Friday, October 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. 14 days after notice of intention to defend. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period.	Friday, October 23, 2026
Example 2. Closed-day boundary	Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim. That defendant’s notice of intention to defend occurs on Monday, October 5, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. 14 days after notice of intention to defend. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period.	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 whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim. That defendant’s notice of intention to defend 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. Statement not indorsed on writ	The plaintiff may serve with the writ or earlier after writ service. Each defendant has a separate relevant event.

Example resultFriday, October 23, 2026

Fictitious established facts. These examples do not establish eligibility, effective service, relief or a direction.

Try these dates in the calculator

Which conditions and exceptions apply?

Statement not indorsed on writ: Statement not indorsed on writ
Writ already served on that defendant: Writ already served on that defendant
Actual notice of intention to defend: Actual notice of intention to defend
No contrary leave: No contrary leave
Correct source counting and completion route: Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim uses the established that defendant’s notice of intention to defend. 14 days after notice of intention to defend. 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 the statement of claim on that defendant. An office calendar does not automatically change this service, deemed-event, minimum-interval or status boundary. The source and the actual completion route control. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period.

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Plaintiff whose writ lacks an indorsed statement of claim. Statement not indorsed on writ; Writ already served on that defendant; Actual notice of intention to defend; No contrary leave. The plaintiff may serve with the writ or earlier after writ service. Each defendant has a separate relevant event.
The plaintiff may serve with the writ or earlier after writ service. Each defendant has a separate relevant event.

What must the responsible actor complete?

Statement not indorsed on writ
Writ already served on that defendant
Actual notice of intention to defend
No contrary leave
That defendant’s notice of intention to defend
Serve the statement of claim on that defendant
The plaintiff may serve with the writ or earlier after writ service. Each defendant has a separate relevant event. Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation for this High Court pleading-service period. A Court extension, abridgment or permitted written agreement under the applicable Order3 rule5 must be retained. It does not silently replace the source event.

Questions about this procedure

What period applies to cfi statement of claim service?

Must the plaintiff wait for an intention-to-defend notice?

No. Order 18 rule 1 permits service with the writ or after writ service before the stated period expires.

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Does an indorsed statement need separate service?

This additional statement-of-claim clock concerns a statement not already indorsed on the writ, subject to contrary leave.

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Which defendant’s notice starts the period?

Use the notice of intention to defend given by the defendant being served. Multiple defendants do not share one assumed date.

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Does August count toward High Court statement service?

Order 3 rule 3 omits Summer Vacation unless the Court otherwise directs. Actual service during vacation also requires the Order 18 rule 5 permission or consent.

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Does acknowledgment expiry start this statement clock?

No. Order 18 rule 1 identifies the defendant’s notice of intention to defend, not merely acknowledgment expiry.

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Can filing replace statement service?

No. Serving the defendant and filing under Order 18 rule 5A are distinct completion requirements.

Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 1

Official sources and review

Provisions used (5)

Provisions used in this guide
Provision	Purpose
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 18, rule 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

Read the official controlling provision

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What lawyers say

1What period applies to cfi statement of claim service?

2How does this provision count time?

3What do independently checked examples show?

4Which conditions and exceptions apply?

5What must the responsible actor complete?

6Questions about this procedure

What period applies to cfi statement of claim service?

Must the plaintiff wait for an intention-to-defend notice?

Does an indorsed statement need separate service?

Which defendant’s notice starts the period?

Does August count toward High Court statement service?

Does acknowledgment expiry start this statement clock?

Can filing replace statement service?

7Official sources and review

What period applies to cfi statement of claim service?

How does this provision count time?

What do independently checked examples show?

Which conditions and exceptions apply?

What must the responsible actor complete?

Questions about this procedure

Official sources and review