Boost for open justice as court judgments get new home
Important court and tribunal judgments will be available via The National Archives for the first time, increasing transparency and securing free access for all.
- Court and tribunal judgments moved to a new website
- The storage and publication of judgments to be managed by The National Archives
- Judiciary welcomes the move to increase the transparency of the justice system
The website will host thousands of court judgments, saving time and money for lawyers, judges, academics, journalists, students and members of the public who require them for vital case preparation or research purposes.
Judicial Review rulings, European case law, commercial judgments and many more cases of legal significance from the High Court, Upper Tier Tribunal, and the Court of Appeal will be readily available to anyone from April 2022.
At present, there are multiple sources for court judgment publications, of which BAILII is the largest. The long-term aim is for all of them to migrate onto The National Archives website which has a track record in hosting digital files safely and securely.
The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP, 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.
Following recommendations made by The Legal Education Foundation in their Digital Justice Report the Ministry of Justice committed to standardising its approach to the publication of judgments.
As the official archive and publisher for the UK Government, The National Archives was chosen because of its long-standing expertise in storing and publishing information securely.
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.
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 Research 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.
Notes to editors:
- The National Archives will take this work on as part of their statutory duties under the Public Records Act 1958. Under their expertise and guidance we will have the infrastructure necessary to expand coverage beyond legally significant court and tribunal judgments in the future.