High Court Calendar 2026 – List of Holidays

A lot of things about Judicial system may change, but Tarikh Pe Tarikh culture remains constant. But, have you ever wondered which ‘Tarikh’ is meant here? As in there are solar calendars, lunar calendars, and a combination of both. So what will the High Court Calendar 2026 look like? The answer to this question lies with Section 24 of the Limitation Act, 1963.

Gregorian Calendar

Did You Know? Computation of time for Court purposes is done according to the Gregorian Calendar. This is the same calendar of January-December months which makes us celebrate the new year today (January 1, 2026).  

Indian Courts follow the Gregorian calendar for all judicial and statutory purposes, including the computation of time under the Limitation Act, 1963. Section 2(j) of the Limitation Act defines a “period of limitation” in terms of days, months, and years as reckoned according to the Gregorian calendar, ensuring uniformity in filing deadlines across courts. As a result, limitation periods, court calendars, and procedural timelines are calculated strictly on the basis of the Gregorian calendar, regardless of religious or regional calendars.

High Court Calendar

A High Court calendar is an official annual schedule issued by each High Court, specifying its working days, court holidays, and vacation periods. It serves as a guiding framework for judicial functioning and administrative operations throughout the year. Each High Court frames its calendar under its High Court Rules. The High Court Calendar 2026 typically includes:

• Total number of working days
• National holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti)
• State-specific public holidays
• Religious and regional observances
• Annual and seasonal court vacations
• Public and regional holidays
• Summer Vacation (usually May–June)
• Winter or Christmas Vacation (December)
• Additional short recesses depending on regional customs
• Special sittings or ceremonial closures

Vacation Bench of High Court

With respect to the High Court list of holidays, Vacation Benches function to hear urgent matters such as habeas corpus petitions, bail applications, and interim relief cases. The High Court registry plays a vital role in filings and listings under the High Court Calendar 2026. Vacation benches ensure access to justice during court recesses. They typically hear matters of the following nature:

• Urgent writ petitions
• Bail and remand matters
• Stay and injunction applications

High Courts Calendar 2026

Importance of High Court List of Holidays

The High Court Calendar 2026 plays a strategic role in litigation management. Failure to account for holidays can result in procedural delays or adverse orders. Though practical reality is that neither litigants, nor advocates or judges can take a call on when a legal matter attains finality. Nevertheless, following the list of holidays helps gain clarity to some extent with the following:

• Case scheduling and adjournments
• Filing of appeals and applications
• Compliance with statutory timelines
• Interim relief planning before long vacations

It may be noted that lawyers and litigants must stay alert to official notifications throughout 2026, since High Courts may revise their calendars due to:

• Public emergencies
• Special holidays
• Administrative reasons