Northern Ireland civil procedure
When does Northern Ireland leave to amend lapse if the amendment is not made?
The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. Make the authorized amendment before leave lapses. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date.
- Period
- The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days
- Trigger
- The order granting leave and any period it specifies
- Rule
- Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9
Current official revised XML accessed October 9, 2026, with retained amendment comparison. The June 2021 and February 2021 court PDFs are historical consolidation aids.
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When does Northern Ireland leave to amend lapse if the amendment is not made?
The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. Make the authorized amendment before leave lapses. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date.
Responsible actor. The party granted leave to amend.
The order granting leave and any period it specifies.
The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date.
The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date. The result must identify permission lapse for the party granted leave to amend. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9How does this provision count time?
- Establish the order granting leave and any period it specifies.
- Make the authorized amendment before leave lapses.
- The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 14 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
- Make the authorized amendment before leave lapses. 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 period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 14 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
Make the authorized amendment before leave lapses. 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 20, rule 9What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Fictitious established event on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Fictitious established event on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date. The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 14 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days. The independent ordinary endpoint is Tuesday, January 27, 2026 for permission-lapse, not a different filing, service or entitlement date. | Tuesday, January 27, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Fictitious boundary event on Friday, March 20, 2026. The source-specific completion is make the authorized amendment before leave lapses. Make the authorized amendment before leave lapses. 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 ordinary permission-lapse endpoint is Good Friday, April 3, 2026. RCJ Office closure cannot postpone this actual act merely because it prevents a different registry filing. Establish lawful completion on the controlling day or an actual variation. |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | The order granting leave and any period it specifies is not established. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date. The selected period cannot replace that missing source fact. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date. | The order granting leave and any period it specifies is not established. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date. 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 actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date.
- Counting and boundary
- The period stated in the order, or ordinarily 14 days. Exclude the controlling event day under Order 3 rule 2(2). Count 14 following days. Intermediate weekends remain because this interval exceeds seven days.
- Required completion
- Make the authorized amendment before leave lapses. 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 actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date. The result must identify permission lapse for the party granted leave to amend. Confirm every actual event and completion before selecting the ordinary branch.
- This procedure concerns the party granted leave to amend. Its controlling event is the order granting leave and any period it specifies. The actual order may replace the default. This boundary concerns lapse of amendment authority. It is not automatically a universal filing-extension date.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
When does Northern Ireland leave to amend lapse if the amendment is not made?
Does the order's stated period control?
Yes. The ordinary default applies only where the order does not specify another period.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9Does lapse mean the party can never amend again?
No. The party needs an actual further extension or fresh permission. The lapsed order alone no longer supplies authority.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9Is this a new application deadline?
The result identifies expiry of amendment authority. It does not itself establish the court's deadline for a later application.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9Must the actual amendment be completed?
Yes. An intention to amend or a prepared draft does not show completion within the order's period.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9What starts the ordinary fourteen-day default?
The actual order giving leave supplies the source event where it fixes no other amendment period.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9Does an intended filing stop leave from lapsing?
No. Establish that the authorized amendment was actually made within the applicable period.
Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9Official sources and review
Provisions used (3)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rules of the Court of Judicature (NI) 1980, Sch 1, Order 20, rule 9 | 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 |