ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS
A question we are frequently asked by clients involved in
litigation before the Irish High Court is whether non-parties to
the proceedings can access their documents which have been opened
in Court. To answer this question, a distinction must be drawn
between (i) documents filed in the Central Office of the High Court
("the Central Office") but which have
not yet been opened in Court; and (ii) documents filed in the
Central Office which have been opened in Court.
DOCUMENTS FILED IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE, BUT NOT OPENED IN
COURT
To initiate proceedings before the Irish High Court, certain
documents (e.g. a summons, a statement of claim) must be filed in
the Central Office. If defending the claim, the defendant/
respondent is also required to file certain replying documentation.
Unless and until these and other documents are opened in open
Court, they cannot be accessed by a person who is not a party to
the proceedings, unless they have a
