Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to judicial review leave time limit?
Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended. Apply for judicial-review leave promptly. The outer date is not permission to delay until that date.
- Period
- Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended
- Trigger
- When the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule
- Rule
- Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(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.
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 judicial review leave time limit?
Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended. Apply for judicial-review leave promptly. The outer date is not permission to delay until that date.
Responsible actor. Applicant seeking leave for judicial review.
When the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule
Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended
Applicant seeking leave for judicial review. Actual grounds-accrual date established; Applicable shorter statute checked; No granted extension. For certiorari against a judgment, order, conviction or proceeding, rule 4(2) identifies that decision event. Promptness can require action before three months.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)How does this provision count time?
- Apply for judicial-review leave promptly
- Applicant seeking leave for judicial review uses the established when the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule. Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule.
- Apply for judicial-review leave promptly. 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. The outer date is not permission to delay until that date.
- The outer date is not permission to delay until that date.
Applicant seeking leave for judicial review uses the established when the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule. Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule.
Apply for judicial-review leave promptly. 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. The outer date is not permission to delay until that date.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Applicant seeking leave for judicial review. When the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule occurs on Thursday, July 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Applicant seeking leave for judicial review. When the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule occurs on Thursday, July 9, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended. The outer date is not permission to delay until that date. | Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Applicant seeking leave for judicial review. When the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule occurs on Sunday, July 19, 2026. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended. The outer date is not permission to delay until that date. | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Applicant seeking leave for judicial review. When the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule occurs on Thursday, July 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. Actual grounds-accrual date established | For certiorari against a judgment, order, conviction or proceeding, rule 4(2) identifies that decision event. Promptness can require action before three months. |
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?
- Actual grounds-accrual date established
- Actual grounds-accrual date established
- Applicable shorter statute checked
- Applicable shorter statute checked
- No granted extension
- No granted extension
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Applicant seeking leave for judicial review uses the established when the grounds first arose, subject to the certiorari rule. Promptly and in any event within 3 calendar months unless extended. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule. Apply for judicial-review leave promptly. 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. The outer date is not permission to delay until that date.
- Applicant seeking leave for judicial review. Actual grounds-accrual date established; Applicable shorter statute checked; No granted extension. For certiorari against a judgment, order, conviction or proceeding, rule 4(2) identifies that decision event. Promptness can require action before three months.
- For certiorari against a judgment, order, conviction or proceeding, rule 4(2) identifies that decision event. Promptness can require action before three months.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to judicial review leave time limit?
Can the applicant safely wait three months?
No. Order 53 rule 4(1) separately requires promptness.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)What starts the outer leave period?
The date grounds first arose, with paragraph (2)’s specified decision date for certiorari.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)Can a shorter statute override three months?
Yes. Rule 4(3) preserves statutory provisions limiting judicial-review time.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)Can the Court extend the leave period?
Rule 4(1) permits extension where the Court considers there is good reason. A request is not a granted extension.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)Does this deadline govern the later originating summons?
No. After leave, Order 53 rule 5(5) provides the separate fourteen-day issue requirement.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)Does receiving legal advice create a new accrual date?
Not automatically. Establish when the legal grounds first arose under the actual facts.
Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(1)Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 53, rule 4(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 |