Legal Definitions - Easter sittings

The term Easter sittings refers to one of the specific periods during the year when courts are officially in session and actively conducting legal proceedings. This particular term typically begins on April 15th each year and usually concludes around May 8th, though it can sometimes be extended until May 13th. During the Easter sittings, judges hear cases, deliver judgments, and manage other court business.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of Easter sittings:

• Imagine a team of lawyers representing a client in a complex intellectual property dispute. They receive notification from the court that their trial has been scheduled to commence on April 20th. This means their case will be heard during the Easter sittings, and they must ensure all their final preparations, witness testimonies, and legal arguments are ready for presentation within this specific court term.

  This example demonstrates how the Easter sittings define a fixed window for legal professionals to schedule and prepare for significant court events, impacting their workflow and deadlines.

• The administrative office of a high court publishes its annual judicial calendar, outlining the periods when judges will be available for hearings and judgments. The calendar clearly marks the dates from April 15th to May 8th as the Easter sittings, indicating that during this time, the court will be fully operational for new case filings, ongoing trials, and appellate reviews.

  This illustrates how the Easter sittings provide a structured framework for court administration, allowing for the systematic planning and allocation of judicial resources throughout the year.

• A legal news outlet reports on a landmark constitutional case that was heard and decided by the Supreme Court. The article mentions that the oral arguments took place in late April, and the final judgment was delivered in early May, specifically stating that these critical proceedings occurred during the court's recent Easter sittings.

  This example shows how the term helps the public and media contextualize when important legal decisions and events take place within the judicial calendar, providing a clear timeframe for significant legal developments.