Beginning May 1, court documents for the Supreme Court of Illinois and the state’s five appellate courts will be free and remotely accessible for reviewing, the high court announced Thursday.
The order requires reviewing courts to submit all nonconfidential documents for cases filed on or after April 1 to re:SearchIL, Illinois’s website for remote public records access. Cases filed on or after April 1 will be accessible with user registration and verification May 1 to all user groups, including the judiciary, attorneys or parties of record, judicial partners, the public, clerks, court employees, Illinois licensed attorneys and legal partners and governmental partners. Fees for electronic court records were also suspended as of Thursday’s court order.
The high court said in its press release that this move will further its goal of providing public access to nonconfidential court documents. Last summer, Appellate Justice Eugene Doherty led a working group the Supreme Court selected to address implementing public access to court records. Having the public records accessible as of May 1 allows the court to review the records before opening access to the public and assure confidential records are protected. Individual reviewing courts may try to include access to available documents filed before April 1, but it will require addressing and confidentiality concerns and is not required under the order, the high court said.