The Judiciary has announced the official Christmas recess dates for the High Court and Courts of Equal Status, outlining how judicial services will continue during the holiday period.
In a gazette notice dated October 6, Principal Judge Eric Ogola announced that recess will run from December 21, 2026, to January 13, 2027.
“PURSUANT to Article 165 (1) of the Constitution of Kenya and section 10 (1) (2) (a) of the High Court (Organization and Administration) Act, 2015, notice is given as follows.The Christmas Recess of the High Court and Courts of Equal Status shall commence on the 21st December, 2026 and terminate on the 13th January, 2027, both days inclusive,” stated Ogola.
During the recess, duty judges will be appointed to hear and determine matters arising while the courts are on break, allowing urgent cases to be addressed even when regular court sittings have been suspended.
The recess also covers the Employment and Labour Relations Court and the Environment and Land Court, whose principal judges will appoint duty judges to handle matters arising during the period.
What Happens During the High Court Recess?
A court recess is a scheduled period during which regular court sittings are suspended. It does not necessarily mean that all court services stop or that litigants cannot access justice.
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Under the notice, presiding judges at individual High Court stations and divisions will appoint duty judges to handle matters arising during the recess.
The Principal Judge of the Employment and Labour Relations Court and the Principal Judge of the Environment and Land Court will make the corresponding appointments for their respective jurisdictions.
At court stations served by a single judge, the nearest High Court station with a duty judge will handle matters arising during the recess.
The presiding judge at the affected station will display information about the designated station on its notice board to guide litigants seeking judicial services.
The notice further states that court offices and registries will remain open to members of the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, excluding public holidays.
This means members of the public can still access registry services during the recess, although ordinary court sittings will be suspended.
Court of Appeal Christmas Recess
The Court of Appeal has a separate recess schedule provided for under Section 26 of the Court of Appeal (Organization and Administration) Act.
According to the court, its annual recess periods are scheduled around Easter, from August 1 to September 15, and from December 21 to January 12, with the specified dates inclusive.
December recess therefore begins on December 21, 2026, and ends on January 12, 2027.
The Court of Appeal’s recess arrangements are distinct from those of the High Court, even though the two periods overlap during the Christmas holidays.
The Court of Appeal works from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except on public holidays or as the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court direct.
The court also provides online services to facilitate access.
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Supreme Court Recess
The Supreme Court, Kenya’s highest court, also has its own recess arrangements under the Supreme Court Act and the Supreme Court Rules.
During its Easter recess in 2026, the court announced that the break would run from March 26 to April 8, inclusive of both dates.
Gazette Notice No. 1006, dated January 27, stated that a duty judge would be available to handle urgent matters during that recess.
The Supreme Court registry was also scheduled to remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, excluding public holidays.
Parliament’s Christmas Recess
According to the National Assembly’s Fifth Session Calendar for 2026, the House’s long recess will run from December 4, 2026, to January 25, 2027.
The calendar also provides for the suspension of committee sittings from December 14, 2026, to January 18, 2027.
The National Assembly approved the dates in the calendar on February 11, 2026, under Standing Order 28 of the National Assembly Standing Orders.
During a parliamentary recess, the approved calendar suspends scheduled House sittings and committee meetings
The Senate’s Fifth Session Calendar also schedules a long recess from December 4, 2026, to February 8, 2027, with committee meetings suspended from December 11, 2026, to January 29, 2027.
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