LHC revamps judges’ summer, winter vacation rules 

The new procedure was approved by the Full Court at its meeting held on September 5, 2026, and communicated through Circular No. 1870/

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has introduced a revised mechanism for scheduling summer and winter vacations for its judges, aiming to improve advance planning, maintain adequate judicial strength and ensure that urgent matters continue to be addressed during vacation periods.

The new procedure was approved by the Full Court at its meeting held on September 5, 2026, and communicated through Circular No. 1870/HR-IV dated September 9, 2026.

Under the revised arrangements, judges will take summer vacations in three groups of broadly equal strength. The groups will be constituted with an appropriate balance of senior and junior judges to maintain sufficient judicial capacity during the vacation period.

The proposed groups and schedules will be prepared and communicated by the end of January each year. Judges seeking to exchange their allotted vacation periods will be required to submit requests by the end of February, with proposed exchanges to be made between judges of corresponding seniority. The summer vacation roster will become final from March 1.

The High Court has also revised the schedule for winter vacations. Instead of commencing on December 25, the two-week winter break will begin on the last Monday of December and continue until the Saturday of the second week.

Winter vacations will be arranged in two groups, again with a balanced combination of senior and junior judges. The schedule is to be finalised by the end of September, while requests for changes will be entertained until the end of October. The final winter roster will take effect from November 1.

According to the circular, the revised mechanism has been introduced to streamline vacation arrangements, ensure the availability of a reasonable number of judges for urgent matters and enable members of the bench to plan their leave well in advance.

The changes have been introduced during the tenure of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelam, the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the LHC. Her leadership has also brought renewed attention to administrative planning and institutional management within the provincial judiciary.

The development comes at a time when Punjab’s executive branch is also headed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, placing women in the top constitutional leadership positions of both the provincial executive and the Lahore High Court.

The Lahore High Court exercises jurisdiction over Punjab and handles a substantial volume of constitutional, civil, criminal and other litigation. Consequently, changes to its administrative and vacation arrangements can have a direct bearing on the functioning of the court, the legal fraternity and litigants across the province.

The revised SOPs are expected to provide judges and lawyers with greater certainty regarding vacation schedules while preserving judicial availability for matters requiring immediate attention.

The initiative also highlights the growing emphasis on structured administrative planning within the judiciary, with the new timelines designed to minimise last-minute changes and ensure that vacation rosters are settled well ahead of the relevant periods.