Open Book Or Locked Vault? Access To Court Documents In The Cayman Islands

Obtaining authorised access to confidential documents in offshore jurisdictions is, in some circles at least, the holy grail of information gathering. This is particularly so if the documentation has originated directly from the dusty shelves of the local court house, and relates to contentious matters whether past or present. The value of that information may well increase exponentially if it concerns, for example, high profile organisations or might otherwise be seen to greatly assist the pursuit of legal actions in other jurisdictions. It is not uncommon, then, for the content of court files in jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands ("Cayman") to be considered particularly alluring and the subject both of pre-emptive applications for sealing and subsequent applications – even by those unconnected with the litigation to which the file relates – for general access.