When the defendant intends to dispute the claim he shall lodge at the office of the mining registrar not less than 21 days before the date fixed for the hearing or at any subsequent time prior to the hearing as the warden may allow a notice of defence in the form No. 36 in the First Schedule with the prescribed fee, and the mining registrar shall forward a copy of the notice to the plaintiff.

[Regulation 126 amended in Gazette 24 Jun 1994 p. 2938; 11 Jun 1999 p. 2545; 17 Jan 2003 p. 114.]