Northern Ireland civil procedure
How long is an original Northern Ireland writ valid for service?
12 months beginning with issue. Serve the original writ on the defendant. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order.
- Period
- 12 months beginning with issue
- Trigger
- The original writ's actual issue date
- Rule
- Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)
Current official revised XML accessed October 9, 2026, with retained amendment comparison. The June 2021 and February 2021 court PDFs are historical consolidation aids.
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
How long is an original Northern Ireland writ valid for service?
12 months beginning with issue. Serve the original writ on the defendant. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order.
Responsible actor. The plaintiff holding an original writ.
The original writ's actual issue date.
The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order.
The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order. The result must identify service validity for the plaintiff holding an original writ. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)How does this provision count time?
- Establish the original writ's actual issue date.
- Serve the original writ on the defendant.
- 12 months beginning with issue. The service-validity interval includes issue. Twelve calendar months end immediately before the next corresponding anniversary.
- Serve the original writ on the defendant. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification.
12 months beginning with issue. The service-validity interval includes issue. Twelve calendar months end immediately before the next corresponding anniversary.
Serve the original writ on the defendant. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Fictitious established event on Monday, October 13, 2025. 12 months beginning with issue. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Fictitious established event on Monday, October 13, 2025. 12 months beginning with issue. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order. 12 months beginning with issue. The service-validity interval includes issue. Twelve calendar months end immediately before the next corresponding anniversary. The independent ordinary endpoint is Monday, October 12, 2026 for service-validity, not a different filing, service or entitlement date. | Monday, October 12, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Fictitious boundary event on Saturday, January 31, 2026. The source-specific completion is serve the original writ on the defendant. Serve the original writ on the defendant. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification. | The 12 months beginning with issue branch cannot use a thirty-day month substitute or an unestablished corresponding-day, paired event, longstop or statutory closure interpretation. Preserve the original writ's actual issue date and establish the actual branch. |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | The original writ's actual issue date is not established. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order. The selected period cannot replace that missing source fact. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order. | The original writ's actual issue date is not established. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order. The selected period cannot replace that missing source fact. |
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?
- Applicable event and branch
- The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order.
- Counting and boundary
- 12 months beginning with issue. The service-validity interval includes issue. Twelve calendar months end immediately before the next corresponding anniversary.
- Required completion
- Serve the original writ on the defendant. Order 3 rule 4 addresses acts prevented at a court office. It does not automatically postpone this service, disclosure, validity or deemed-event boundary. Unproved nonworking endpoints remain outside numeric qualification.
- The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order. The result must identify service validity for the plaintiff holding an original writ. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
- This procedure concerns the plaintiff holding an original writ. Its controlling event is the original writ's actual issue date. The issued writ must be original, not concurrent. The service method and actual expiration must be established. Renewal requires an actual court order.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
How long is an original Northern Ireland writ valid for service?
Does a concurrent writ receive another twelve months?
No. A concurrent writ receives only the original writ's unexpired validity. Its later issue does not restart twelve months.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)Can the court extend an unserved writ?
Yes. Order 6 rule 7 permits an actual extension order. Establish the period granted and the ordinary pre-expiry application requirement.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)Must an extended writ show its renewal?
Yes. Before service, the extended writ must bear the seal showing the extension period.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)Does writ validity determine the limitation period?
No. Validity for service and limitation for bringing the action are different boundaries. Both require their own facts.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)What event starts original-writ validity?
Order 6 rule 7 uses the actual issue date and expressly begins validity with that date.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)What must happen while the writ remains valid?
The plaintiff must establish legally effective service on the defendant. Registry issue alone is not service.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1)Official sources and review
Provisions used (3)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 6, rule 7(1) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) 1980, Order 3 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) 1980, Order 64 rule 7 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |