Points not presented in accordance with this section will be disregarded, except that the appellate court, at its option, may notice a plain error not presented. If an appellate court, when acting on a case on appeal, contemplates basing the disposition of the case wholly or in part upon an issue of plain error not raised by the parties through briefing, it shall not affirm, reverse, or vacate the case without allowing the parties the opportunity to brief the potential plainerror issue prior to disposition. Lengthy parts of the transcripts that are material to the points presented may be included in the appendix instead of being quoted in the point.
The statement shall be the last page in the brief following the appendices, if any. If no other cases are deemed related, a single statement to this effect shall be provided. If appellant identifies a case as related, no other party need duplicate the listing in that party's brief. If appellant learns of a related case after filing the initial brief, appellant shall promptly file a statement.
A nominal appellee need not file an answering brief. The appellate court may require an answering brief if one is deemed useful to its consideration.
Reply brief. Within 14 days after service of appellee's answering brief, or receipt as evidenced by an acknowledgment of service as provided in Rule 25(e) of these Rules, whichever is later, the appellant may file a reply brief. The reply brief shall be confined to matters presented in the answering brief. If no reply brief is to be filed, the appellant shall file a notification with the appellate clerk, with service upon all parties, prior to the expiration of the time for filing the reply brief. Briefs on reserved questions. In cases in which a single question has been reserved, the party maintaining the affirmative shall, for the purpose of this Rule, be regarded as the appellant and the party opposing the question as the appellee. So also where there are several questions and one party has the affirmative as to all of them. Where several questions have been reserved as to which a party maintains the affirmative as to some and the negative as to others, the plaintiff shall be regarded as the appellant and the defendant as the appellee, unless, upon application to the appellate court, an order specifying otherwise is issued by the appellate court. Unless otherwise ordered by the appellate court, briefs by the parties shall conform to Rule 28(a), (b), (c) and (d) of these Rules except that points of error and standards of review need not be provided.Haw. R. App. P. 28