Who can request court records?

You can usually only get court records if you were involved in the court case  

People who were involved in court cases are often called a ‘party’ to a case.

The parties to a civil (non-criminal) case are: 

• the person who made the claim (called the applicant or plaintiff, depending on the type of case) and 
• the person who is opposing the claim (called the respondent or the defendant, depending on the type of case). 

The parties to a criminal case are: 

• the party making the claim (the Police or the Crown) and
• the party who is opposing the claim - the defendant (in the Youth Court, the defendant is called the Young Person).   

You can also request court records if the case is about you.

You can request court records yourself, or, if you have access to one, have a lawyer request them on your behalf.

If you are not a party to the case, your request must be approved by a judicial officer. 

• A judicial officer (often a judge or registrar) is a person with the responsibilities and power to make decisions about how laws are applied.

If your request is denied by the judicial officer, you will be told why. Requesting court records can be difficult and bring up a range of emotions. You may want to seek legal support or find support from support and advocacy groups to help you through this process.