Rule 9 Time Limits for Disposition

Here's a plain-English summary of this rule:

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court is expected to decide a case within 12 months after it hears oral arguments. If there were no oral arguments and the case was decided based only on written briefs, the 12-month clock starts from when oral arguments would have normally been scheduled.

This means the court has a goal to wrap up cases in a reasonable amount of time instead of letting them sit for years without a decision. The phrase "insofar as practicable" gives the court some flexibility, since some cases are more complex and may take longer to sort through.

For people waiting on a case, this rule sets an expectation for how long they might have to wait for a final answer from the court. It does not guarantee a decision will come exactly at 12 months, but it shows the court aims to issue a ruling within that timeframe whenever possible.