High Court sets out vacation arrangements, with August applications limited to real urgency
High Court vacation arrangements for 2026 have been set out by the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, with practitioners warned that only applications of real urgency will generally be dealt with during August.
The summer vacation runs from Saturday 1 August 2026 until 10am on Thursday 1 October 2026. The Royal Courts of Justice and Rolls Building were also scheduled to close on Monday 31 August 2026.
The notice states that, subject to a judge’s discretion, appeals and applications normally made to a judge may be made during September. It refers practitioners to Practice Direction – Court 39B of the Civil Procedure Rules.
During August, appeals to a judge are limited to specified matters unless permission is given or alternative vacation arrangements apply. The Judiciary gives urgent injunction applications and applications for possession under RSC Order 113 as examples of matters that may be dealt with.
Where practical, applications or appeals should be submitted to a Master, District Judge or Judge before the hearing so they can be marked ‘fit for August’ or ‘fit for vacation’. A written request for that designation should briefly explain the nature of the matter and why it needs to be dealt with during August or September.
The notice also sets out procedures for the individual High Court divisions.
In the Chancery Division, a judge will be available each working day to deal with urgent business. The published rota runs through to 1 October and is stated to be subject to change.
For the Companies Court, applications will initially be heard in the Interim Applications List on Mondays and Thursdays. Vacation business includes applications to restrain the presentation or advertisement of winding-up petitions, applications under section 127 of the Insolvency Act 1986, applications to rescind winding-up orders and administration petitions.
Urgent Companies Court applications must be arranged directly with the Vacation Judge’s Clerk and must include an Advocate’s certificate confirming urgency, or a note of special leave from a Vacation Judge, together with the expected hearing length.
For solicitors seeking an emergency hearing in the King’s Bench Division, the notice contains a specific filing requirement. A solicitor wishing to make an emergency application before the QB Interim Applications Judge must CE-file the documents. Once accepted by the Listing Office, the solicitor will be alerted to the judge’s clerk. The judge’s clerk will then tell the Listing Office whether the case will be heard and, if so, provide the hearing time.
The King’s Bench Interim Applications Judge has been assigned Court 37, although hearings may be listed by Microsoft Teams where appropriate.
The Commercial Court will have judges sitting throughout the vacation to deal with urgent work, while nominated judges will sit throughout the vacation in the Administrative Court.
In the Family Division, a judge will be available each working day for urgent summonses and other urgent applications. No case estimated to last more than one day will be entered in the vacation list unless a Family Division judge has first granted leave.
The Technology and Construction Court will also have a judge sitting throughout the vacation, while the Senior Courts Costs Office will operate under normal business arrangements.
The Judiciary said the published judicial lists are subject to change and advised that enquiries about which judges are sitting should be directed to the appropriate divisional officer.