Court officials in St John’s have issued an official public notification of an upcoming temporary shutdown of the Magistrates’ Court situated on High Street. The facility will be closed to all public business on two specific dates in July 2026: Wednesday, July 8, and Friday, July 10. The closure has been scheduled to accommodate the successful implementation of activities tied to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Exercise.
Individuals who have legal hearings or scheduled matters booked for these two closure dates have been notified of a rescheduling arrangement. All affected cases will now be heard in their original assigned courtrooms on Monday, July 13, 2026. For legal documents, filings, and case services that cannot be processed through the existing electronic litigation portal, court officials have directed all submissions to be sent via the designated official mail channel.
Importantly, the temporary shutdown only applies to the High Street Magistrates’ Court location. The Magistrates’ Court of the Family Division, which operates out of the High Court complex on Parliament Drive in St John’s, will remain open and continue its normal operations as scheduled throughout the period.
The Court Administrator’s office issued an apology to the public for any disruption to access to justice and court services that this temporary closure may cause. The official notice was dated July 7, 2026, and signed by Nyron Frederick, Court Administrator of the Magistrates’ Court system in the region.