Scotland court deadlines
What is the ordinary section 7 twenty-year reference endpoint?
Current section 7 supplies an ordinary twenty-year reference for included obligations. Damages use the actual act, last act or continuing-act cessation under section 11(4), rather than later loss or discovery. Statutory exclusions and a timely unresolved relevant claim remain separate. The result does not determine extinction.
- Period
- 240 calendar months after the established source event
- Trigger
- actual enforceability for another included obligation, or the section 11(4) act, last act or cessation date for damages
- Rule
- Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 ss 7,11(4),22A; Schedule 3
Current cited source. Supported actual events run from 2026-01-01 through 2028-12-31. Pure calendar endpoints are bounded through 2050-12-31. Later legal changes require review.
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 is the ordinary section 7 twenty-year reference endpoint?
Current section 7 supplies an ordinary twenty-year reference for included obligations. Damages use the actual act, last act or continuing-act cessation under section 11(4), rather than later loss or discovery. Statutory exclusions and a timely unresolved relevant claim remain separate. The result does not determine extinction.
Responsible actor. Person using the exact applicable statutory obligation, action, complaint or moratorium branch.
Establish actual enforceability for another included obligation, or the section 11(4) act, last act or cessation date for damages.
The obligation falls within current section 7. Schedule 3 imprescriptible obligations, section 22A, personal injury or death reparation, and the specified Building Safety Act liabilities are excluded.
The ordinary section 7 reference endpoint. A timely unresolved relevant claim can extend the period under section 7(3)-(5). Relevant acknowledgment does not restart the current twenty-year period. Exclusions and the section 11(4) start remain essential. This does not determine extinction.
Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 ss 7,11(4),22A; Schedule 3How does this provision count time?
- Use the corresponding calendar date after the established source event. A target month without that date requires separate review.
- No automatic weekend, bank-holiday or office-closure extension applies. Complete the actual legally required act through its applicable route and cutoff.
- Check the actual applicable source conditions and complete the required statutory process.
Use the corresponding calendar date after the established source event. A target month without that date requires separate review.
No automatic weekend, bank-holiday or office-closure extension applies. Complete the actual legally required act through its applicable route and cutoff.
Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 ss 7,11(4),22A; Schedule 3What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Fictional established facts. The selected statutory event occurs on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Every stated scope condition is established.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Fictional established facts. The selected statutory event occurs on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Every stated scope condition is established. Use the corresponding calendar date 240 months after the established event. No court-holiday extension is inferred. | Monday, October 15, 2046 |
| Example 2. Material procedural branch | Fictional established facts. The selected statutory event occurs on Monday, February 28, 2028. Every stated scope condition is established. Use the corresponding calendar date 240 months after the established event. No court-holiday extension is inferred. | Friday, February 28, 2048 |
| Example 3. Closed-day boundary | Fictional established facts. The selected statutory event occurs on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Every stated scope condition is established. The recipient office is confirmed closed on the ordinary endpoint. That closure does not change this statutory calculation. Use the corresponding calendar date 240 months after the established event. No court-holiday extension is inferred. | Monday, October 15, 2046 |
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?
- Source condition 1
- The obligation falls within current section 7. Schedule 3 imprescriptible obligations, section 22A, personal injury or death reparation, and the specified Building Safety Act liabilities are excluded.
- Source condition 2
- For another included obligation, actual enforceability governs. A damages obligation uses section 11(4), rather than later loss or discoverability under section 11(1)-(3).
- Source condition 3
- I established the actual selected act, last act or continuing-act cessation date. Another event or an inferred date is not substituted.
- Source condition 4
- The current regime applies to this post-2025 source event. No earlier obligation or unresolved historical transition is treated as newly arising.
- Source condition 5
- The result is the ordinary twenty-year reference endpoint only. A timely unresolved relevant claim can extend the period under section 7(3)-(5).
- Source condition 6
- A relevant acknowledgment does not restart this current twenty-year period. No different enactment or actual order changes the selected ordinary reference calculation.
- The ordinary section 7 reference endpoint. A timely unresolved relevant claim can extend the period under section 7(3)-(5). Relevant acknowledgment does not restart the current twenty-year period. Exclusions and the section 11(4) start remain essential. This does not determine extinction.
- No. Current section 7 does not restart this period for acknowledgment. A timely unresolved relevant claim can extend it under section 7(3)-(5). The ordinary reference endpoint does not determine that extension.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What is the ordinary section 7 twenty-year reference endpoint?
What is the ordinary section 7 twenty-year reference endpoint?
Current section 7 supplies an ordinary twenty-year reference for included obligations. Damages use the actual act, last act or continuing-act cessation under section 11(4), rather than later loss or discovery. Statutory exclusions and a timely unresolved relevant claim remain separate. The result does not determine extinction.
Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 ss 7,11(4),22A; Schedule 3Does acknowledgment restart the current twenty-year period?
No. Current section 7 does not restart this period for acknowledgment. A timely unresolved relevant claim can extend it under section 7(3)-(5). The ordinary reference endpoint does not determine that extension.
Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 ss 7,11(4),22A; Schedule 3How are weekends and office closures handled?
No automatic weekend, bank-holiday or office-closure extension applies. Complete the actual legally required act through its applicable route and cutoff.
Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 ss 7,11(4),22A; Schedule 3Official sources and review
Provisions used (1)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 ss 7,11(4),22A; Schedule 3 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |