46.7.—(1) Within 7 days after the date on which the summons has called, any party may apply for an order to dispense with preliminary acts in an action to which rule 46.6 applies.
(2) An application under paragraph (1) shall be made by minute craving the court to dispense with preliminary acts and setting out the grounds on which the application is made.
(3) Before lodging such a minute in process, the party making the application shall intimate a copy of the minute, and the date on which it will be lodged, to every other party.
(4) Any other party may lodge in process answers to such a minute within 14 days after such a minute has been lodged.
(5) After the expiry of the period mentioned in paragraph (4), the court may, on the motion of any party, after such further procedure, if any, as it thinks fit, dispense with preliminary acts.
(6) Where the court dispenses with preliminary acts, the pursuer shall lodge a condescendence with appropriate pleas-in-law within such period as the court thinks fit; and the action shall thereafter proceed in the same way as an ordinary action.
(7) Where the court refuses to dispense with preliminary acts, it shall ordain a party or parties, as the case may be, to lodge preliminary acts under rule 46.6 within such period as it thinks fit.
(8) An interlocutor dispensing or refusing to dispense with preliminary acts shall be final and not subject to review.