From the 21st of July 2025, courtrooms across Lagos State will temporarily shut their doors as the Lagos State High Court begins its annual break, wrapping up the 2024/2025 legal year.
The announcement came through a notice dated 5th of June and signed by the Chief Registrar, Mr Tajudeen Elias.
The vacation will officially end on the 12th of September.
Justice Kazeem Alogba, Chief Judge of Lagos State, approved the schedule under Order 49, Rule 4(D) of the High Court of Lagos Civil Procedure Rules, 2019.
But the break doesn’t apply to all court business.
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Mr Elias made it clear:
“Notwithstanding the long vacation, the Criminal Division of the High Court of Lagos State may sit throughout the vacation. Where a judge of a criminal division is on vacation, a vacation judge may be assigned to deal with all pending criminal cases in that court. Notwithstanding the long vacation, any case or matter may be heard by a judge during the period of vacation (except on a Sunday or public holiday). Where such a case or matter is urgent, a judge will, at the consent of all parties concerned, agree to hear it.”
For emergencies or time-sensitive matters, lawyers can still approach the court.
“Applications for urgent hearings may be brought by summons in chambers before either the vacation judge or the judge to whom the substantive case is assigned,” Mr Elias added.
The judiciary will return to full activity on the 15th of September, while the official legal year service is set for the 22nd of September.