Federal High Courts end legal year, begin vacation

Federal High Courts in Nigeria, on Monday, commenced the annual long vacation for the year 2019, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

In a circular signed by the Federal High Court Lagos, Chief Registrar, Emmanuel Gako, the 2019 long vacation would commence on July 8 and end on September 13, while normal court activities were expected to resume on September 16.

NAN reports that the long vacation is observed annually, pursuant to the provisions of Order 46 rule 4 (a) of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009.

According to the circular notifying the General Public of the scheduled vacation, only divisions like: Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt will remain functional during the vacation, and litigants are at liberty to approach only these courts.

The circular provides that the Abuja division will cater for cases from the Federal Capital Territory, North Central, North Western, and the North Eastern parts of the country.

The Lagos division is to cater for cases from the South West, while the Port Harcourt division will cater for cases from the South-South and Southeast.

“Only cases of extreme urgency are to be entertained during the period,” Mr Gako said.

Meanwhile in Lagos, Justices Nicholas Oweibo and Chuka Obiozor, have been assigned to sit as vacation judges during the period.