Uganda’s Judiciary announces court vacation for High Court and Magistrates’ Courts
The Judiciary of Uganda has announced the official start of its annual Court Vacation for the High Court and Magistrates’ Courts. The break began on July 15, 2025, and will run through August 15, 2025.
According to the Judiciary’s Public Relations Office, this recess aims to allow judicial officers to focus on essential administrative and legal functions, including writing pending judgments, handling rulings, and clearing inactive cases from the court system.
Supreme court, court of appeal to break in August
The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal will observe their own court vacation from August 1 to August 31, 2025.
Despite the court vacation, the registries of all courts across the country will remain open and fully operational. This allows for the continued filing of new cases and other registry-related services.
This court recess applies exclusively to civil matters. However, the Judiciary confirmed that it will handle urgent civil cases if they meet the criteria and receive a certificate of urgency from a designated duty Judicial Officer.
Meanwhile, criminal matters will proceed uninterrupted. All criminal hearings and case management will continue during the vacation period as scheduled.
Purpose and legal basis of the vacation
This annual break is authorized under the Judicature (Court Vacation) Rules, Statutory Instrument 13-20. The Judiciary uses this period to review performance, finalize pending work, and plan for the upcoming court calendar.
The Judiciary has encouraged litigants, lawyers, and stakeholders to continue using court registry services during this time. While courtrooms may not host regular civil proceedings, the system remains active behind the scenes.
