The Magistrates' Courts (Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Rules 1993

Timing of Proceedings

5.—(1) Any period of time fixed by this Schedule or by a rule where this Schedule applies to proceedings pursuant to that rule, or by any order or direction, for doing any act shall be reckoned in accordance with this rule.

(2) Where the period, being a period of 7 days or less, would include a day which is not a business day, that day shall be excluded.

(3) Where the time fixed for filing a document with the justices' clerk expires on a day on which the justices' clerk’s office is closed, and for that reason the document cannot be filed on that day, the document shall be filed in time if it is filed on the next day on which the justices' clerk’s office is open.

(4) Where this Schedule or a rule where this Schedule applies to proceedings pursuant to that rule provides a period of time within which or by which a certain act is to be performed in the course of relevant proceedings, that period may not be extended otherwise than by a direction of the justices' clerk or the court under paragraph 4(1) above.

(5) At the—

(a) transfer to a court of proceedings,

(b) postponement or adjournment of any hearing or directions appointment in the course of relevant proceedings, or

(c) conclusion of any such hearing or directions appointment other than one at which the proceedings are determined, or so soon thereafter as is practicable,

the justices' clerk or the court shall—

(i) fix a date upon which the proceedings shall come before the justices' clerk or the court again for such purposes as the justices' clerk or the court directs, which date shall, where paragraph (a) applies, be as soon as possible after the transfer, and

(ii) give notice to the resident party of the date so fixed.