Federal High Court Judges To Proceed For Easter Vacation From March 22

Federal High Court judges are scheduled to embark on the 2024 Easter vacation starting March 22, according to a circular issued by the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho. The vacation period will extend until Monday, April 8, with normal judicial activities set to resume on Tuesday, April 9.

The decision to grant the Easter vacation aligns with the provisions of Order 46, Rule 4 (b) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019 (as amended).

Throughout the vacation period, the Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt judicial divisions will maintain limited operations, accessible to the public only for matters of extreme urgency. The circular emphasized that only cases concerning the enforcement of fundamental rights, arrest or release of vessels, and issues of dire national interest would be entertained by vacation judges.

Each judicial division will handle specific geographical areas during the vacation period. The Abuja division will address cases from the Federal Capital Territory, North Central, North Western, and North Eastern regions. Meanwhile, the Lagos division will attend to matters from all South Western States, and the Port Harcourt division will manage cases from the South-South and South Eastern geopolitical zones.

Vacation judges for the Abuja division were announced as Hon. Justices Inyang Edem Ekwo and Donatus Okorowo, tasked with overseeing urgent matters during the holiday period.