2. If the President is absent or prevented from attending, Article 8 of these rules shall apply. CHAPTER II PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE Article 87 1. A party applying to the Court for a decision on a preliminary objection or other preliminary plea not going to the substance of the case shall make the application by a separate document. 2. The application must state the pleas of fact and law relied on and the form of order sought by the applicant and any supporting documents must be annexed to it. 3. As soon as the application has been lodged, the President shall prescribe a period within which the opposite party may lodge a document containing a statement of the form of order sought by that party and its pleas in law. 4. Unless the Court decides otherwise, the remainder of the proceedings shall be oral. 5. The Court shall, after hearing the parties decide on the application or reserve its decision for the final judgment. If the Court refuses the application or reserves its decision, the President shall prescribe new time limits for the further steps in the proceedings. Article 88 1. Where it is clear that the Court has no jurisdiction to take cognizance of an action or where the action is manifestly inadmissible, the Court may, by reasoned order, after hearing the parties and without taking further steps in the proceedings, give a decision 2. The Court may at any time of its own motion consider whether there exists any absolute bar to proceeding with a case or declare, after hearing the parties, that the action has become devoid of purpose and that there is no need to adjudicate on it; it shall give its decision in accordance with Article 87(4) and (5) of these Rules. CHAPTER III INTERVENTION Article 89 1. An application to intervene must be made within six weeks of the publication of the notice referred to in Article 13(6) of these Rules. The application shall contain: (a) the description of the case;