Summer vacation runs until 1 October, with only urgent cases heard during August
High Court Summer Vacation begins on Saturday, 1 August 2026, with the High Court of Justice confirming that only applications considered genuinely urgent will be dealt with during August under its annual vacation arrangements. The notice was published by the Judiciary on 3 August 2026.
The Judiciary said the Summer Vacation will continue until 10 am on Thursday, 1 October 2026. During this period, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Rolls Building will be closed on Monday, 31 August 2026.
According to the notice, only applications of real urgency will be heard during August. However, subject to a judge’s discretion, appeals and applications that would normally be made to a judge may still be heard during September in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Civil Procedure Rules.
The notice refers to Practice Direction 2F and explains that judges from each division of the High Court will continue to sit during the vacation where necessary. Vacation judges may hear cases, claims, matters or applications requiring immediate or prompt attention, while the court may also direct that other business be heard if appropriate. Parties may also apply for a matter to be heard during the vacation where immediate consideration is required.
The Judiciary advises that, where practical, applications and appeals should first be submitted to a Master, District Judge or Judge so they can be marked as suitable for hearing during August or elsewhere in the vacation period. Requests for this designation should normally be made in writing and explain why the matter should proceed during the vacation.
Detailed arrangements have also been published for individual divisions of the High Court.
For the Chancery Division, a designated vacation judge will be available on every working day to deal with urgent business. The published rota identifies the judges assigned throughout August and September, while noting that the schedule remains subject to change.
The King’s Bench Division will continue to operate through its Interim Applications Judge, who will deal with urgent matters under the Civil Procedure Rules. Solicitors making emergency applications must use the court’s CE-File system, while litigants in person may submit applications electronically, by email or through the court’s document drop box. Hearings may take place in person or remotely using Microsoft Teams where appropriate. A rota of High Court judges assigned to sit throughout the vacation has also been published.
The Commercial Court will continue to sit throughout the vacation to deal with urgent work, while nominated judges in the Administrative Court will remain available to hear urgent matters. Applications during office hours must be made through the relevant listing offices, with out-of-hours arrangements also in place.
Within the Family Division, judges will continue hearing urgent summonses and applications on every working day. The Central Family Court will remain open during normal working hours, with District Judges continuing to hear business subject to available court time. Separate arrangements also apply to urgent matrimonial matters pending in county courts.
The notice further confirms that judges in the Technology and Construction Court will remain available to deal with urgent applications by appointment throughout the vacation period. The Senior Courts Costs Office will continue operating under its normal business arrangements.
The Judiciary states that anyone requiring information about which judges are sitting during the vacation should contact the appropriate listing office. Where a judge is not sitting, urgent applications may, if necessary, be made directly to the judge after first contacting the relevant clerk or listing officer.