S.L. 387.1 Art. 14Powers of the Registrar and preliminary meeting.

(1) When the Notice is validly filed in accordance with rule 13, the Registrar shall, unless it is filed jointly by all parties or is otherwise acknowledged, notify the other party with -

(a) a certified copy of the Notice; and

(b) a proposed time-frame for the conduct of the proceedings.

(2) If the Registrar considers it appropriate in the circumstances, he may issue an order establishing the date and time of the preliminary meeting, the time-limits for the filing of the statement of claim, statement of defence and the holding of a first hearing in terms of the proposed time-frame and notify it to the other parties in accordance with these rules.

(3) If the arbitral tribunal has not yet been appointed, the Registrar shall preside over the preliminary meeting and shall have all the powers of the arbitral tribunal in relation to the proceedings including the making of time-frames for the filing of the statement of claim and statement of defence, the establishment of the time-table and other related matters.

(4) If the arbitral tribunal has been appointed by the date of the preliminary meeting, then, the arbitral tribunal shall preside over such meeting, without prejudice to any order which may have been issued by the Registrar in terms of the preceding sub-rule: Provided that in the event that the arbitrator or arbitrators are unable to attend, the Registrar shall preside over the preliminary meeting and give such preliminary orders as are necessary after consultation with the arbitral tribunal.

(5) The time-frame or any order related thereto shall bind the parties and the arbitral tribunal, subject to the right of the arbitral tribunal to agree to any change thereto in exceptional circumstances and only in a manner that does not delay the proceedings unnecessarily. In the event of any change to the time-frame, the arbitral tribunal shall notify the parties and the Registrar of any such change.