Court Calendar · Sri Lanka
When the courts are not sitting.
Vacation dates for the Sri Lankan courts, kept in one place. Filing and listing are affected during these periods, while statutory time limits generally continue to run. Maintained by AW Chambers as a public utility.
Vacation Periods
The 2026 court calendar.
Today
Courts on vacation
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Next to resume
High Court
19 Aug · in 1 days
All courts back
24 Aug
in 6 days
April
2026
6 Apr to 26 Apr
August
2026
10 Aug to 23 Aug
December
2026
21 Dec to 10 Jan
Section 5A of the Judicature Act No. 2 of 1978 divides a working day into two judicial days, beginning no later than 9.45 am and 1.15 pm, each sitting for at least two and a half hours in open court.
August Court Vacation
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
2 of 3 tiers are on vacation, so some courts are sitting.
Status by court
Indicative only · Vacation dates and sitting hours are fixed by the courts and may be varied · Confirm with the relevant registry before relying on a date.
What a Vacation Changes
Three things worth checking before you rely on a date.
01
Time limits keep running
A vacation is not an extension. Limitation periods and appeal deadlines generally continue to run, so a date falling inside a vacation still counts unless a rule says otherwise.
02
Urgent matters are handled
Arrangements usually exist for genuinely urgent applications during vacation, but they are limited. Do not assume ordinary filing and listing will be available.
03
Confirm before you act
Dates are fixed by the courts and can be varied. Treat this page as a convenience and check the official calendar or the registry before relying on it.
Frequently Asked
Court vacations, in plain language.
What is a court vacation in Sri Lanka?+
A court vacation is a scheduled period during which the courts do not sit for ordinary business. Filing deadlines and hearing dates are affected, though arrangements are usually in place for genuinely urgent applications.
Can I still file papers during a vacation?+
Registries often maintain limited arrangements for urgent matters during vacation, but ordinary filing and listing are affected. Check the position for the specific court before relying on a filing date that falls in a vacation period.
Do time limits keep running during court vacations?+
Statutory time limits generally continue to run regardless of whether the courts are sitting. A vacation is not an extension, so a limitation period or an appeal deadline should be calculated on the assumption that it is unaffected unless a rule provides otherwise.
Where do these dates come from?+
Vacation dates are fixed by the courts and published officially. This page reproduces them for convenience only. Always confirm against the official court calendar or the relevant registry before acting on a date.
In accordance with Supreme Court Rules 1988, these tools and documents are provided for informational purposes only. AW Chambers maintains this repository as a public utility to support legal literacy.
A deadline falling inside a vacation?
