England and Wales: Court judgments to be published by The National Archives

There is currently no single comprehensive archive of court judgments, though a wide selection are published by the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII), which receives around a quarter of its funding from the government.

A wide selection of judgments will be made available through The National Archives from April 2022 and the service will eventually expand to include all court and tribunal judgments, not just legally significant ones.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Robert Buckland QC said: “Ensuring court judgments are easily accessible is central to the rule of law and the principle of open justice.

“Having used BAILII myself as a criminal barrister, I am extremely grateful for the work they have done over the years to make judgments available to the public.

“This new service will ensure they remain accessible to anyone who needs them, under safe and secure arrangements with The National Archives.”

The government said BAILII will continue to provide free access to judgments, for other jurisdictions, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth, as well as England and Wales, “continuing their great service to date”.

There were previously concerns that the launch of a new service run by The National Archives could lead to a withdrawal of public funding from BAILII.

Jeff James, chief executive and keeper at The National Archives, said: “Court and tribunal judgments are vital public records. As world leaders in digital archiving and legal publishing, The National Archives will ensure that judgments are safely preserved and made accessible for the centuries to come.”

Dr Natalie Byrom, director of education at The Legal Education Foundation, said: “We commend this important decision, which was recommended as part of our Digital Justice report.

“This is a critical step towards achieving a more transparent, open and equitable justice system, that supports access to justice and data-driven reform.”