Fixing date for trial, etc.
26.—(1) The Court may at any stage of an action, either on an application made by summons by any party or by order made by virtue of rule 34, fix a date for the trial and vacate or alter any such date.
(2) Not later than 7 days after a date for the trial of the action has been fixed, the action must be set down for trial—
(a)where the date was fixed on an application made under paragraph (1), by the applicant;
(b)where the date was fixed by order made by virtue of rule 34, by the plaintiff.
Where the applicant or plaintiff does not, within the period fixed by this paragraph, set the action down for trial, any other party may set it down or an application may be made to the Court to dismiss the action for want of prosecution and, on the hearing of any such application, the Court may order the action to be dismissed accordingly or make such other order as it thinks just.
(3) Not less than 7 days before the date fixed for the trial, or such other period before that date as may be specified in general directions given by the Lord Chief Justice the party by whom the action was set down for trial must, unless the Court otherwise orders, file in the registry—
(a)if trial with one or more assessors has been ordered, a praecipe for his or their attendance, and
(b)three copies or, in the case of a trial with one or more assessors, four copies (if with one assessor) and five copies (if with two) of any pleadings, preliminary acts, notices given under rule 18(3) and statements filed under rule 18(4).
(4) If an action which has been set down for trial is settled or withdrawn it shall be the duty of all the parties to notify the Central Office of the fact without delay and take such steps as may be necessary to vacate the date fixed for the trial.
(5) Order 21, rule 2(4), Order 33, rule 4, and Order 34 (except rule 9) shall not apply to Admiralty actions.