US federal courts are to remain open for 10 business days, despite a partial government shutdown on 1 October after the two houses of Congress failed to agree a new budget.

The federal courts will ‘reassess the situation’ after 15 October, the US Courts said in a statement. The Supreme Court will continue ‘normal operations’ until tomorrow.

The Department of Justice said in a statement that criminal litigation will continue without interruption as an ’excepted activity’ in order to ’maintain the safety of human life and the protection of property’.

If a court denies a litigator’s request to postpone a case and orders it to continue, litigation will become an ‘excepted activity’ that can continue during the lapse, said the DoJ.

However, civil litigation will be postponed providing to do so will not pose a danger to life or the protection of property.