PART 12CHILDREN PROCEEDINGS EXCEPT PARENTAL ORDER PROCEEDINGS AND PROCEEDINGS FOR APPLICATIONS IN ADOPTION, PLACEMENT AND RELATED PROCEEDINGS

CHAPTER 2GENERAL RULES

Setting dates for hearings and setting or confirming the timetable and date for the final hearing12.13.

(1)

At the—

(a)

transfer to a court of proceedings;

(b)

postponement or adjournment of any hearing; or

(c)

conclusion of any hearing at which the proceedings are not finally determined,

the court will set a date for the proceedings to come before the court again for the purposes of giving directions or for such other purposes as the court directs.

(2)

At any hearing the court may—

(a)

confirm a date for the final hearing or the week within which the final hearing is to begin (where a date or period for the final hearing has already been set);

(b)

set a timetable for the final hearing unless a timetable has already been fixed, or the court considers that it would be inappropriate to do so; or

(c)

set a date for the final hearing or a period within which the final hearing of the application is to take place.

(3)

The court officer will notify the parties of—

(a)

the date of a hearing fixed in accordance with paragraph (1);

(b)

the timetable for the final hearing; and

(c)

the date of the final hearing or the period in which it will take place.

(4)

Where the date referred to in paragraph (1) is set at the transfer of proceedings, the date will be as soon as possible after the transfer.

(5)

The requirement in paragraph (1) to set a date for the proceedings to come before the court again is satisfied by the court setting or confirming a date for the final hearing.