{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/restrictive-practices-court-rules-1976/article-33",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/restrictive-practices-court-rules-1976/article-33.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1976/1897",
  "legislation_title": "The Restrictive Practices Court Rules 1976",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/restrictive-practices-court-rules-1976",
  "path": "article/33",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "33",
  "heading": null,
  "text": "(1) At any time after the issue of a notice of reference, and notwithstanding that it has not been served, the Director may apply to the Court for an interim order under section 3 of the Act by a notice of application issued out of the office of the Court out of which the notice of reference was issued.\n(2) In addition to the matters required by section 3(2) of the Act to be specified in the application the notice shall specify the persons (including any association, whether or not it is itself a party to the agreement to which the notice applies) against whom an interim order is sought.\n(3) The notice of application shall be issued by being sealed with the Court's seal by the proper officer of the Court, and when issued shall be returned to the applicant who shall—\n(a) leave a copy to be filed by the proper officer; and\n(b) at the same time file with the proper officer an affidavit setting out the facts and matters on which he relies in support of the application.\n(4) Where the case is one of urgency the application may be made ex parte, but in any other case the Director shall serve a copy of the notice of application and of the affidavit on the persons (including any association) against whom an interim order is sought and those persons shall be made respondents to the notice.\n(5) Where the application is made ex parte, the Court may make such interim order, and give such directions as to the service of notice of the application, the joinder of parties, or the further hearing of the application as the Court thinks fit.\n(6) Any respondent who wishes to oppose the application shall within seven days of service upon him of notice of the application file with the proper officer of the Court an affidavit setting out the grounds of his objection and the facts and matters on which he relies and shall at the same time serve a copy thereof on the Director.\n(7) Not later than seven days after every respondent has filed an affidavit or the time for doing so has expired the Director shall apply to the Court for directions.\n(8) The provisions of these Rules relating to a reference to the Court by the Director (other than rule 23(1) and (2)) shall apply with the necessary modifications to directions under paragraph (5) and paragraph (7) and to all further proceedings on the application.\n(9) An application under section 3(5) of the Act for a fresh interim order in substitution for an earlier one may be made by notice of application specifying the interim order to which the application relates, and paragraph (3) shall apply to a notice under this paragraph as it applies to the original application.\n(10) A notice under paragraph (9) shall be served on all those persons who were parties to the proceedings relating to the previous interim order, and such persons shall be respondents to the notice.\n(11) Paragraphs (6), (7) and (except for the words “paragraph (5) and”) (8) shall apply to an application under paragraph (9) as they apply to an application by the Director under paragraph (1).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1976/1897/article/33",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:16:29.395092+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}