{"id":"F2015L01274","name":"High Court (2016 Sittings) Rules 2015","slug":"high-court-2016-sittings-rules-2015","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"136 of 2015","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":438379,"registerId":"F2015L01274-fast-fetch-1775954830710","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"High Court (2016 Sittings) Rules 2015","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nHigh Court (2016 Sittings) Rules 2015\n\n \n\nSelect Legislative Instrument No. 136, 2015\n\nWe, Justices of the High Court of Australia, make the following Rules of Court.\n\nDated 5 August 2015\n\nR. S. French\n\nS. M. Kiefel\n\nV. M. Bell\n\nS. J. Gageler\n\nP. A Keane\n\nG. A. Nettle\n\nM. M. Gordon\n\nJustices of the High Court of Australia\n\nC. M. Rogers  Acting Chief Executive and\n\nPrincipal Registrar\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Sittings of the High Court in 2016\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  These are the High Court (2016 Sittings) Rules 2015.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of these Rules specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of these Rules The day after these Rules are registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of these Rules as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of these Rules.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of these Rules. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of these Rules.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  These Rules are made under the Judiciary Act 1903.\n\n4  Sittings of the High Court in 2016\n\n (1) Sittings of a Full Court of the High Court are to be held at Canberra and other places as required during the following periods:\n\n \n\n| Monday 1 February 2016 to Friday 12 February 2016 |\n| --- |\n| Monday 29 February 2016 to Friday 11 March 2016 |\n| Monday 4 April 2016 to Friday 15 April 2016 |\n| Monday 2 May 2016 to Friday 13 May 2016 |\n| Monday 6 June 2016 to Friday 17 June 2016 |\n| Monday 18 July 2016 to Friday 29 July 2016 |\n| Monday 22 August 2016 to Friday 2 September 2016 |\n| Tuesday 4 October 2016 to Friday 14 October 2016 |\n| Monday 7 November 2016 to Friday 18 November 2016 |\n| Monday 5 December 2016 to Friday 16 December 2016 |\n\n\n \n\n (2) Sittings of a Full Court of the High Court to hear applications for special leave to appeal to the High Court are to be held on the following days:\n\n \n\n| Friday 12 February 2016 |\n| --- |\n| Friday 11 March 2016 |\n| Friday 15 April 2016 |\n| Friday 13 May 2016 |\n| Friday 17 June 2016 |\n| Friday 29 July 2016 |\n| Friday 2 September 2016 |\n| Friday 14 October 2016 |\n| Friday 18 November 2016 |\n| Friday 16 December 2016 |\n\n\n \n\n (3) The winter recess begins on Saturday 18 June 2016.\n\n (4) The summer recess begins on Saturday 17 December 2016.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation performs exactly its intended function: setting the sitting dates for the High Court in 2016. It has not expanded beyond this narrow administrative purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Only 4 short sections total","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation beyond a single authority citation (Judiciary Act 1903)","Simple tabular presentation of dates with no conditional logic","Straightforward commencement provision with basic table mechanism","No exceptions, exemptions, or nested provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"This short rule, made by the High Court Justices, sets the Court’s 2016 sitting calendar — fixed dates for Full Court hearings, designated Fridays for special‑leave applications, and the winter and summer recess start dates. It matters to lawyers, litigants, court staff and anyone relying on the High Court timetable because it tells them when the Court will hear cases and when it will be on holiday."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument does not change the Court's powers or procedural rules; it only fixes the 2016 sitting schedule and recesses. Its scope is administrative and narrow, affecting scheduling and logistics rather than legal rights or court jurisdiction."},"complexity_factors":["Very narrow subject‑matter: purely calendaring of sittings and recesses (s4).","Clear legal authority: made under the Judiciary Act (s3).","Simple commencement rule: whole instrument commences the day after registration (cl 2(1)).","No substantive change to jurisdictional or procedural law—administrative effect only.","Low discretion: dates are fixed rather than delegating broad powers.","Operational impact concentrated on court users (litigants/practitioners/registry) via scheduling and logistics.","Potential compliance burden limited to timing and resourcing costs rather than regulatory obligations."],"plain_english_summary":"These Rules set the High Court’s Full Court sitting blocks, the days for hearing special‑leave applications, and the 2016 winter and summer recesses. They commence the day after registration and are made under the Judiciary Act (s3). They affect litigants, lawyers, judges, registrars and court staff by locking the Court’s 2016 calendar, which creates concrete scheduling, travel and filing‑timing consequences and gives the Court administrative certainty; compliance chiefly imposes logistical and scheduling costs on parties and practitioners."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/high-court-2016-sittings-rules-2015","history":"/api/acts/high-court-2016-sittings-rules-2015/history","analysis":"/api/acts/high-court-2016-sittings-rules-2015/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/high-court-2016-sittings-rules-2015/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/high-court-2016-sittings-rules-2015/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/high-court-2016-sittings-rules-2015/documents"}}