20.07.2026 11:31
The collective leave period for judicial members, known as the judicial recess, began today. Duty panels will operate in courts, and files of detained defendants along with urgent matters will continue to be processed. The absolute nullity decision brought by the CHP to the Court of Cassation will be examined in the new judicial year starting September 1. The Constitutional Court, however, will work uninterrupted during this period.
The judicial recess, applied as the collective leave period for judicial members, begins today. During the judicial recess, standby panels will serve in courts, while files of detained defendants and urgent matters where delay poses a risk will continue to be handled. The Constitutional Court will continue its work outside the judicial recess application. The new judicial year will start on Tuesday, September 1. The absolute nullity decision regarding the CHP, taken to the Court of Cassation, will be examined after the judicial recess.
STANDBY PANELS TO TAKE DUTY
The judicial recess in the judiciary starts as of today. During the judicial recess, regular hearings in courts will largely be suspended, while standby courts will continue to operate to ensure that judicial services are not disrupted.
Throughout the judicial recess, proceedings related to detained defendants, review of detention, applications where delay poses a risk, and judicial matters specified as urgent by law will be decided by standby courts. Other cases and trials will resume from where they left off with the start of the new judicial year.
STANDBY PANEL WILL ALSO BE ON DUTY IN THE COUNCIL OF STATE
In the Council of State, a standby panel will also be on duty during the judicial recess. The standby panel cannot make decisions on the merits of cases but may evaluate requests for a stay of execution and urgent applications.
TWO STANDBY DIVISIONS IN THE COURT OF CASSATION: ONE IN LAW, ONE IN CRIMINAL
In the Court of Cassation, two standby divisions will serve during the judicial recess—one in law and the other in criminal matters. The criminal division will examine files related to detained defendants, while the law division will evaluate urgent legal matters.
CHP'S ABSOLUTE NULLITY FILE DELAYED UNTIL SEPTEMBER
Meanwhile, the absolute nullity decision regarding the 38th Ordinary Congress of the CHP, given on the grounds of irregularity, had been sent to the 3rd Law Division of the Court of Cassation for appeal review. With the start of the judicial recess, the Court of Cassation has postponed the file review until after September.
ABSOLUTE NULLITY PROCESS
When the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into irregularities related to the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress, former Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Lütfü Savaş and some delegates separately filed lawsuits for the annulment of the congress. These annulment lawsuits were consolidated into a single case at the Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance. In the hearing held on October 24 last year, the court ruled that the main lawsuit seeking the annulment of the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress had become moot, deciding that there was no need for a ruling. However, the 36th Law Division of the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal ruled that the CHP's 38th Ordinary Election Congress should be annulled from its date due to 'absolute nullity'. The division decided on the interim suspension of Özgür Özel and his administration from duty and the continuation of duties of the previous chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and party organs.
AYM TO CONTINUE ITS WORK
The Constitutional Court will continue its work uninterrupted, as it is outside the scope of the judicial recess application.
The judicial recess will end on August 31, and the new judicial year will begin on Tuesday, September 1.