The Criminal Procedure Rules 2015

Power to vary requirements

36.3.  The court or the Registrar may—

(a) shorten a time limit or extend it (even after it has expired) unless that is inconsistent with other legislation;

(b) allow a party to vary any notice that that party has served;

(c) direct that a notice or application be served on any person;

(d) allow a notice or application to be in a different form, or presented orally.

[Note. The time limit for serving an appeal notice—

(a) under section 18 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968(1) on an appeal against conviction or sentence, and

(b) under section 18A of that Act(2) on an appeal against a finding of contempt of court

may be extended but not shortened: see rule 39.2.

The time limit for serving an application for permission to refer a sentencing case under section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988(3) may be neither extended nor shortened: see rule 41.2(2).

The time limits in rule 43.2 for applying to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal or refer a case to the Supreme Court may be extended or shortened only as explained in the note to that rule.]

(1)

1968 c. 19.

(2)

1968 c. 19; section 18A was inserted by section 170 of, and paragraphs 20 and 25 of Schedule 15 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33).

(3)

1988 c. 33; section 36 was amended by section 272 of, and paragraphs 45 and 46 of Schedule 32 and paragraph 96 of Schedule 36 to, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), sections 49 and 65 of, and paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 and Schedule 5 to, the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38), section 40 of, and paragraph 48 of Schedule 9 to, the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), sections 46, 148 and 149 of, and paragraphs 22 and 23 of Schedule 26 and Part 3 of Schedule 28 to, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4) and paragraph 2 of Schedule 19 and paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 26 to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10). It is further amended by section 46 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4) and section 28 of, and paragraph 2 of Schedule 5 to, the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2) with effect from dates to be appointed.