Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to district court statement service?
14 days after the defendant’s notice. Serve the statement of claim on that defendant. District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion.
- Period
- 14 days after the defendant’s notice
- Trigger
- That defendant’s notice of intention to defend
- Rule
- Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1
Official verified English consolidated chapter 336H, version March 28,2025. 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 district court statement service?
14 days after the defendant’s notice. Serve the statement of claim on that defendant. District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion.
Responsible actor. Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement.
That defendant’s notice of intention to defend
14 days after the defendant’s notice
Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement. Statement not indorsed on writ; Writ served; Actual defendant notice; No contrary leave. A separate defendant notice may establish a separate service period. The plaintiff can also serve with the writ.
Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1How does this provision count time?
- Serve the statement of claim on that defendant
- Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement uses the established that defendant’s notice of intention to defend. 14 days after the defendant’s notice. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them. District Court Order3 has no High Court pleading summer-omission rule. Do not transfer the August omission merely because the procedures have similar names.
- 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. District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion.
- District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion.
- A closed interparty or combined endpoint needs separate source qualification. An ordinary weekday calculation does not certify this boundary.
Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement uses the established that defendant’s notice of intention to defend. 14 days after the defendant’s notice. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them. District Court Order3 has no High Court pleading summer-omission rule. Do not transfer the August omission merely because the procedures have similar names.
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. District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion. 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 District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement. That defendant’s notice of intention to defend 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 whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement. 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 the defendant’s notice. District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion. | Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement. 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 the defendant’s notice. District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion. | 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 District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement. 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 | A separate defendant notice may establish a separate service period. The plaintiff can also serve with the writ. |
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?
- Statement not indorsed on writ
- Statement not indorsed on writ
- Writ served
- Writ served
- Actual defendant notice
- Actual defendant notice
- No contrary leave
- No contrary leave
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement uses the established that defendant’s notice of intention to defend. 14 days after the defendant’s notice. Exclude the effective event day. Ordinary intervening weekends remain counted unless an applicable source provision excludes them. District Court Order3 has no High Court pleading summer-omission rule. Do not transfer the August omission merely because the procedures have similar names. 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. District Court pleading days do not inherit the High Court August exclusion.
- Plaintiff whose District Court writ lacks an indorsed statement. Statement not indorsed on writ; Writ served; Actual defendant notice; No contrary leave. A separate defendant notice may establish a separate service period. The plaintiff can also serve with the writ.
- A separate defendant notice may establish a separate service period. The plaintiff can also serve with the writ.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to district court statement service?
May the District Court statement be served with the writ?
Yes. Order 18 rule 1 expressly permits that route.
Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1Does a statement already indorsed on the writ need this additional clock?
The provision excludes that ordinary separate-service situation, subject to contrary leave.
Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1Which notice starts the fourteen days?
That defendant’s notice of intention to defend, not simply acknowledgment expiry.
Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1Do multiple defendants necessarily share one deadline?
No. Rule 1 identifies each defendant and that defendant’s actual notice event.
Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1Does August disappear from this District Court period?
No summer-pleading omission appears in retained Cap. 336H Order 3. The High Court has a different rule.
Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1Does filing the statement complete defendant service?
No. The completion act in Order 18 rule 1 is service on the defendant.
Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1Official sources and review
Provisions used (4)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H), Order 18, rule 1 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Rules of the District Court (Cap.336H), Order3 rules1,2,4 and5 | 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 |