# How soon do s2 hearings have to be listed?

**URL:** <https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/how-soon-do-s2-hearings-have-to-be-listed/4503>\
**Category:** Mental Health Tribunal\
**Created:** [19 October 2025 17:57 UTC](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/how-soon-do-s2-hearings-have-to-be-listed/4503 "2025-10-19T17:57:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kemmasokol](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Kemmasokol](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/u/Kemmasokol)\
**Post date:** [19 October 2025 17:57 UTC](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/how-soon-do-s2-hearings-have-to-be-listed/4503/1 "2025-10-19T17:57:00Z")

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Is the Section 2 hearing listed within 7 days or 10 days after Covid? I am slightly confused about which rule currently applies.

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**Author:** ![Jonathan](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/user_avatar/forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/jonathan/32/88_2.png) [@Jonathan](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/u/Jonathan)\
**Post date:** [25 October 2025 20:06 UTC](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/how-soon-do-s2-hearings-have-to-be-listed/4503/2 "2025-10-25T20:06:59Z")

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They increased it to 10 so that they could score better against their targets, though I think they still nearly always meet the old seven-day deadline.

There’s some background to this at [Mental Health Tribunal and coronavirus - Mental Health Law Online](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Mental_Health_Tribunal_and_coronavirus#Timeframe_for_s2_hearings). I add and remove things from time to time, but currently it says:

> [Tribunal rule 37](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Tribunal_rule_37) used to require the tribunal to start s2 cases within 7 days after the date on which it receives the application notice. This was changed temporarily to 10 days by [Tribunal Procedure (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Tribunal_Procedure_(Coronavirus)_(Amendment)_Rules_2020) on 10/4/20. The amended rules also allowed the tribunal to ignore the new deadline if it is “not reasonably practicable”. These amendment rules expired on 25/9/22 when s55(b) [Coronavirus Act 2020](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Coronavirus_Act_2020) expired. The change to 10 days (though not the explicit ability to circumvent it) was the subject matter of two consultations: see [Tribunal Procedure Committee, ‘Consultation on possible amendments to the Tribunal Procedure (First-Tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008 on the timescale for listing Section 2 hearings’ (from 11/2/20 to 7/4/20)](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Tribunal_Procedure_Committee,_%27Consultation_on_possible_amendments_to_the_Tribunal_Procedure_(First-Tier_Tribunal)_(Health,_Education_and_Social_Care_Chamber)_Rules_2008_on_the_timescale_for_listing_Section_2_hearings%27_(from_11/2/20_to_7/4/20)), [Tribunal Procedure Committee, ‘Possible amendments to the Tribunal Procedure (FTT) (HESC) Rules 2008’ (consultation about s2 listing, from 21/6/22 to 16/8/22)](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Tribunal_Procedure_Committee,_%27Possible_amendments_to_the_Tribunal_Procedure_(FTT)_(HESC)_Rules_2008%27_(consultation_about_s2_listing,_from_21/6/22_to_16/8/22)) and [Tribunal Procedure Committee, ‘Reply from the Tribunal Procedure Committee’ (following consultation on changes to section 2 listing, 19/10/22)](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Tribunal_Procedure_Committee,_%27Reply_from_the_Tribunal_Procedure_Committee%27_(following_consultation_on_changes_to_section_2_listing,_19/10/22)).
> 
> The temporary coronavirus extension expired on 25 September 2022, but from 1 November 2022 it was made permanent by the [Tribunal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2022](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Tribunal_Procedure_(Amendment_No._2)_Rules_2022): now “the hearing of the case must start within 10 days after the date on which the Tribunal received the application notice” ([Tribunal rule 37](https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Tribunal_rule_37)).