Closing The Gap: Access To Court Documents In The UK And U.S.

Introduction

English Court documents¹ are soon to become more readily available to non-parties, with sweeping changes proposed under a pilot scheme published on October 20, 2025². The pilot will operate from January 1, 2026 until December 31, 2027, with the aim of advancing the principles of open justice and transparency.

These developments will bring the English courts closer to the approach taken in the United States, where materials in the court docket can be accessed with far greater ease.

In this OnPoint, we explore what the pilot scheme entails as well as the opportunities and challenges it presents, and how lessons from the U.S. model may help litigants in the English courts prepare for the pilot's entry into force.