The High Court summer vacation sittings 2026 schedule has been confirmed, giving solicitors, barristers and court users in Ireland a clear guide to urgent court business during the vacation period. The update from the Courts Service outlines how urgent applications, bail matters and extradition cases will be handled, while also confirming Central Office and List Room arrangements for late summer and early autumn.
For anyone tracking updates through gov.ie, the Courts Service and wider public bodies such as the Department of Justice, An Garda SÃochána and the Revenue Commissioners, this notice is an important operational update rather than a policy change. It sets out when urgent matters can still be heard and how applications must be certified before being listed.
High Court summer vacation sittings 2026: key arrangements
During Summer Vacation 2026, a High Court judge will be available every weekday to hear urgent applications only. These sittings are scheduled for Court 6 at the Four Courts, Monday to Friday at 11.00am, unless the High Court Duty Registrar directs otherwise.
Applicants must first contact the court by email at highcourtvacation@courts.ie or by telephone at 01 8886000. Any request must include a clear explanation of urgency. Importantly, the President of the High Court has directed that no matter will be listed before the Vacation Judge unless the High Court Duty Registrar certifies that it is sufficiently urgent.
- Venue: Court 6, Four Courts
- Time: 11.00am, Monday to Friday
- Purpose: urgent applications only
- Requirement: prior certification of urgency by the Duty Registrar
Bail and extradition sittings during the court vacation
High Court bail list dates
The High Court Bail List will sit in Court 13 at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street. Practitioners can contact Highcourtbail@courts.ie regarding bail-related matters.
Sittings are listed on multiple dates across August, September and early October 2026, ensuring urgent bail applications can continue to be processed during the vacation period.
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Extradition list for urgent matters only
The Extradition Vacation List will sit in Court 11 at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street, for urgent extradition matters only. The dedicated contact is Extradition@courts.ie.
These sittings will cover selected dates in August, September and 1 October 2026. The Courts Service has made clear that the list is intended for urgent applications and matters already adjourned to those dates, including cases affected by statutory time limits. New matters will only be listed where the Extradition Duty Registrar certifies urgency.
This kind of scheduling is especially relevant for legal professionals monitoring developments linked to Justice, Courts Service operations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and related public administration updates across Ireland.
Central Office, List Room and Legal Diary updates
The Central Office of the High Court will remain open throughout the Summer Vacation. Business continues by appointment through the online booking system on courts.ie, while urgent matters that cannot be booked online may be arranged through dublincivillaw@courts.ie.
The List Room will close at 4.30pm on Friday, 31 July 2026, and will reopen at 10.00am on Monday, 28 September 2026. During that closure, court users are instructed to ring the bell of the Central Office for lodgements.
The Legal Diary will continue to be published on courts.ie on each day the Central Office is open, helping practitioners keep track of active business during the vacation.
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What court users should do next
The High Court summer vacation sittings 2026 notice is a practical guide for anyone needing urgent access to the High Court during the vacation months. The key takeaway is simple: urgent matters can still be heard, but only where the appropriate registrar certifies that the case truly requires vacation listing. Court users should check dates carefully, use the correct email contacts and rely on courts.ie for daily operational updates.
Article/Image Courtesy: Courts Service
