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21 November 2025 / Nikki Edwards
Issue: 8140 / Categories: Features , Profession , Technology , Legal services , CPR
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A new pilot will, for the first time, give the public online access to key court documents from commercial cases: LSLA president Nikki Edwards hails a major step toward open justice
  • A two-year pilot, starting January 2026, will allow non-parties online access to a defined set of documents used in public hearings in the Commercial Court, London Circuit Commercial Court, and Financial List.
  • The scheme introduces clear filing rules and a mechanism to balance transparency with confidentiality, addressing prior procedural gaps and practitioner concerns.
  • Though challenges remain around costs, collateral use, and administrative load, the pilot is a key milestone in advancing open justice.

After a long period of consultation, the access to public domain documents pilot under Practice Direction 51ZH has now been published and will come into force in January.

This two-year pilot will, for the first time, provide non-parties with online access to a defined set of documents deployed by parties in public hearings in the Commercial Court, London Circuit Commercial Court, and the

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