Rule 29 of The Employment and Labour Relations Court (Procedure) Rules: Response to pleadings

(1) If a party served with a statement of claim intends to respond, the party shall, within twenty-eight
days from the date of service (or such shorter time as the Court may direct in urgent matters for
reasons given in writing), enter appearance and file and serve a response to the claim.
(2) A respondent’s statement of response shall contain—
(a) the respondent’s name, telephone number, email address and postal address;
(b) a reply on the issues raised in the statement of claim;
(c) any admission of any statement of facts set out in the statement of claim as the respondent
admits, and a denial of any statements made in the suit that the respondent does not admit;
(d) any additional statements of fact which the respondent may wish to make in support of the
respondent’s reply;
(e) any defence or grounds upon which the respondent may wish to rely;
(f) any principle, policy, convention, law, industrial relations practice or management practice
to be relied upon;
(g) a counterclaim; or
(h) any relief that might be sought by the respondent against the claimant.
(3) A party served with a response to any pleading under subrule (1) may file and serve a reply within
seven days of service of the response.
(4) The pleadings in a suit shall close fourteen days after the service of a reply under subrule (3) or,
where a reply is not filed, fourteen days after service of a response to pleadings under subrule (1).
(5) The Court may, on application, extend or reduce the time within which a responding party may
respond to a pleading.