(a) No specific legal provisions exist governing the length or cost of legal proceedings. The Rules of Court set out clear time-limits for the various stages of civil proceedings. Extensions may be agreed to inter partes or the Court might grant extensions or condone late service in appropriate circumstances which will lengthen the duration of the proceedings.
(b) The essential time-periods are set out in Rule 6 of the Uniform Rules of Court (for applications) and Rules 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the Rules for actions. No statistical data is available on the actual duration of proceedings or their cost.