Observe a court or tribunal hearing
How to observe a hearing as a journalist, researcher or member of the public.
Applies to England and Wales
Court and tribunal hearings in England and Wales usually take place in public. This means you can observe them whether you’re a journalist, academic or member of the public.
This is part of the principle of open justice: judicial proceedings should be conducted in an open, public and transparent manner whenever it is in the interests of justice.
What you can and cannot do
The judge in each case decides how a hearing is held, including whether and how people can observe it. If they think it’s necessary for the proper administration of justice, a judge can decide to hold a hearing in private, with no observers allowed.
You cannot record, broadcast or take photos of any hearing, no matter how you’re observing it.
Options for observing a hearing
Depending on how the hearing is held, you may be able to observe a hearing:
- in person, from a public gallery
- remotely, using a video or audio link
Observe a hearing remotely
To check if you can observe a hearing remotely, you’ll need to contact the court or tribunal in advance and provide your full name and email address.
If a court or tribunal does not have the appropriate technology or resources, they might suggest observing the hearing in person instead.
Some courts stream some or all of their hearings online for people to watch:
- Supreme Court live streaming
- Court of Appeal (Civil Division) live streaming
- Competition Appeal Tribunal live streaming
Find out when and where hearings are taking place
HMCTS publishes public lists of hearings.
There’s detailed guidance for accredited members of the media, including email listings and results from magistrates’ courts.
What happens when you observe a hearing
Find out about:
- security procedures when attending a court or tribunal hearing in person
- what to expect when joining a hearing by telephone or video
Get more information about hearings
As well as observing hearings, you can:
- find out how to access HMCTS information and data, including court and tribunal listings, records, decisions and hearing transcripts
- contact the court to ask for permission from the judge to access hearing notes and audio recordings (in some courts)
Victims and witnesses
See guidance on going to court as a victim or witness.
Updates to this page
Last updated 28 June 2022 + show all updates
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Added 'Observing a hearing remotely' subsection
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First published.