England and Wales: Government scheme expands access to court judgments

The new case law service currently provides access to superior court judgments dating back to 2003 and tribunal decisions dating back to 2015, and will be updated with new judgments “quickly”.

Over the coming months and years, The National Archives will work with the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary to expand coverage of what is published and made accessible to the public, including judgments from the lower courts and tribunals.

Justice minister James Cartlidge said: “As we continue to build a justice system that works for all, the National Archive’s new service is a vital step towards better transparency. It will ensure court judgments are easily accessible to anyone who needs them.

“Our first official government record of judgments is a modern one-stop-shop that will benefit everyone, from lawyers and judges to academics, journalists and members of the public.”

Dr Natalie Byrom, director of research at The Legal Education Foundation, said: “The launch of the new judgments service at The National Archives is a hugely significant step for open justice. For the first time, the retention and preservation of judgments from courts and tribunals in England and Wales is guaranteed under primary legislation, as is the right for the public to obtain access to these documents.

“The investment in modernising the processes whereby judgments from courts and tribunals reach publication puts in place the infrastructure needed to build towards a complete record- something which is vital for research and policy.

“We are excited and encouraged by the progress made to date and look forward to seeing how the service develops over coming weeks and months.”

John Sheridan, digital director at The National Archives, said: “We are taking on this role as keepers of the public record, working under the Public Records Act 1958. Court judgments are hugely important public documents. We are providing access for people today, with a modern digital service. We are also preserving the records for future generations. It is a step change in terms of access and use of judgments data.”