THE Lagos State High Court has announced that it will begin its annual end-of-legal year vacation on July 24, 2023, to signal the end of the year 2022/2023 legal year. The vacation will end on September 15, 2023.
According to media reports, the Acting Chief Registrar, Mr Tajudeen Elias, in a release, said the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, had approved the annual vacation under Order 49 Rule 4(D) of the High Court of Lagos Civil Procedure Rules 2019.
He said the Criminal Division of the High Court will sit during the vacation, adding that: "Where a judge of a criminal division is on vacation, a vacation judge may be assigned to deal with all the pending criminal cases in court."
Speaking further, he explained that, irrespective of the long vacation, any matter or cause may be heard by a judge during the period of vacation (except public holidays or on Sundays).
Mr Tajudeen Elias said: "Where such cause or matter is urgent, a judge at the request of all parties concerned, agrees to hear it. Any application for an urgent hearing during the vacation may be made by summons in chambers before the vacation judge, or the judge before whom the substantive case is pending.
“Four judges have been assigned to adjudicate proceedings at the Ikeja Division and the Lagos Division each, while two judges have been assigned to Badagry, Epe, and Ikorodu Divisions of the High Courts each, as vacation judges.”
While informing that the 2023/2024 Legal Year of Lagos State Judiciary will begin on September 18, 2023, Elias averred that the new Legal Year service would take place on September 25, 2023.
