What is the deadline for judicial review pre-action response?
A defendant should normally respond to a judicial review letter before claim within 14 days. Urgency and the public law context can require a shorter practical timetable.
Calculate your deadline
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Worked example
- Example input
- 03/08/2026
- Expected result
- Monday 17 August 2026
The letter before claim was served on Monday 3 August 2026.
The calculator applies the protocol’s usual 14-day response period. It does not extend the separate prompt judicial-review filing limit.
How this deadline is counted
- Period
- Normally 14 days
- Trigger
- Service of the letter before claim
- Direction
- Forward from service
- Counting method
- 14 clear days in the encoded record
All calendar days count because the period exceeds five days. A court-closure end date moves under the calculator method.
Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review, paragraph 20. Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review, paragraph 20. Civil Procedure Rules source checked 06/08/2026
Exceptions and matter facts
- The protocol is not appropriate where the matter is urgent or an urgent application is required.
- Judicial review claim-filing limits are separate and are not extended by the pre-action exchange.
Deadline Engine is calculation software, not legal advice. Check the current rule, any order and the facts before adding a date to your diary.