Federal High Court Announces Easter Vacation Dates and Guidelines

The Federal High Court nationwide will enter its Easter vacation from March 22 to April 8, 2024, as stated in a circular by Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho, following the provisions of Order 46, Rule 4 (b) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019 (as amended).

A Tuesday statement by the court’s Assistant Director of Information, Catherine Christopher, specified that during this period, only cases related to fundamental rights enforcement, vessel arrest or release, and matters of national interest will be heard by vacation judges in the Abuja, Lagos, and Port-Harcourt Judicial Divisions.

The court will resume its regular sessions on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in all Judicial Divisions.

Throughout the vacation period, the Abuja, Lagos, and Port-Harcourt Judicial Divisions will remain accessible to the public solely for urgent cases.

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Christopher noted that the Abuja division will handle matters from the Federal Capital Territory, North Central, North Western, and North Eastern regions, while the Lagos and Port-Harcourt divisions will attend to cases from the South Western states and the South-South/South Eastern geopolitical zones, respectively.

Vacation judges for each division have been designated, including Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo and Justice D.U. Okorowo for Abuja, Justice A.O. Awogboro and Justice Ibrahim Kala for Lagos, and Justice A.T. Mohammed and Justice S.I. Mark for Port Harcourt.

During the vacation, heads of divisions and vacation judges are advised to promptly refer any matters requiring urgent attention or directives to the Chief Judge.

It is customary for Federal High Courts to observe their annual Easter vacation between March and April, with the vacation period in 2023 observed from March 31 to April 17.