How to find and read a published court judgment

Use an official judgment source

The National Archives' Find Case Law service publishes judgments and tribunal decisions within its collection. Search using a case citation, court, date or other known details. A missing search result does not establish that a case did not happen or that every decision is publicly available.

A hearing list says what is scheduled. A judgment gives the court's decision or reasons. They are different records, and either can be affected by publication or reporting restrictions.

Read the document's identity first

• Check the court or tribunal and the date.
• Note the neutral citation and any case number.
• Check whether the document is a judgment, order, reasons or another record.
• Read any anonymity, reporting or publication notice.
• Check for a corrected version or a later appeal before relying on it.

Separate arguments from the decision

A judgment can describe the parties' submissions, background facts and earlier decisions before giving the court's reasoning and conclusion. An argument recorded in the document is not necessarily a finding or rule accepted by the court.

The outcome in another case depends on its facts, procedure and applicable law. A search result or short summary cannot establish how that decision applies to you. Ask a qualified adviser about legal significance, appeal options or deadlines.

Keep a useful reference

Save the citation, official link and relevant paragraph numbers for a discussion with an adviser. Court Guide provides this reading checklist and official navigation; it does not create personal case profiles, predict results or bulk-republish judgments.

Related information

• Appeal notice N161 information
• Finding employment tribunal decisions