In T 679/14 the board found that it was unacceptable to repeatedly postpone oral proceedings without serious reasons, especially if it was done several times in the same examination proceedings after long delays had already occurred. The postponement of oral proceedings on five occasions at the instigation of the examining division without serious reasons constituted a procedural deficiency in the circumstances of the case.

According to T 1101/13, that the partner of a professional representative was expected to give birth on a date close to the fixed oral proceedings could be accepted as a substantive reason for requesting a change of the date for oral proceedings. In the circumstances of the case, the board decided to maintain the date fixed for the oral proceedings.