The Registry Services team in Melbourne may assist you in searching Supreme Court records and obtaining copies of documents.
It is advisable to contact the relevant Registry before attending in person to determine whether a particular court file is available and/or if you request can be accommodated on the spot.
Litigation Searches
Litigation/party name searches may be conducted to determine whether a person or entity is a party to a civil Supreme Court proceeding.
To conduct a litigation search, a ‘Request to Search’ form will need to be completed and emailed to cevapvcnyertvfgel@fhcpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocpus@yrtsigerlapicnirp or lodged in person at the Principal Registry, Level 2, 436 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Please note that results may not display if there are certain restrictions on the publication of names or court proceedings. The information provided is for civil cases initiated in the Court since 1 January 1990.
A fee is payable for each litigation search. Refer to item 6.3 in the Fee Lists.
If you submit your request by email, you will be required to provide payment by credit card (Mastercard or VISA) before the results can be emailed back to you. Please complete and submit a Credit Card Authorisation Form.
If attending in person, payment may made by eftpos or credit card (Mastercard or VISA), cash, cheque or money order.
Searching Court Files
In general, documents filed in a proceeding may be inspected and copied on payment of the proper fee. However, some documents may be confidential and require an Order of the Court or permission from the Prothonotary , Deputy Prothonotary or Registrar (where appropriate).
Most in person file inspections occur at the Principal Registry, Level 2, 436 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. In some circumstances, documents may be sent to you through email. However, this may not be possible if the court file is maintained as a hard-copy paper file or the electronic record is too voluminous. In the first instance, please contact the relevant Registry.
Parties and their legal representatives may have electronic access in RedCrest to their file if it is maintained as an electronic proceeding. In such instances, the court file number will contain an ‘E’ prefix (e.g. ‘S ECI XXXX XXXX’ or S EPACI XXXX XXXX’). Refer to the RedCrest e-Filing User Guide, section 7 ‘Access Cases’ and section 8.1 ‘Enhanced Case Access’.
A fee is payable to search a court file and to photocopy documents (if required). Refer to items 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5 of the Fee Lists. Photocopying fees do not apply if you bring a USB drive and scan any documents.
Please take note of the additional information below regarding court file searches in the Trial Division and Court of Appeal .
Civil Trial Division files
To search a proceeding in the Common Law Division, Commercial Court or Costs Court, you will need to complete a ‘Request to Search’ form for each court file. Requests may be emailed to cevapvcnyertvfgel@fhcpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocpus@yrtsigerlapicnirp or lodged in person at the Principal Registry, Level 2, 436 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
For any enquiries, please contact the Principal Registry by email or by phone on 03 8600 2000.
Requests to search Commercial Court proceedings may also be directed to the Commercial Court Registry by emailing pbzzrepvnypbheg@fhcpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocpus@truoclaicremmoc or by phone on 03 8600 2002.
Criminal Trial Division files
Documents within a criminal proceedings cannot be searched unless permission is obtained in accordance with rule 1.11(4) and rule 1A.03(6) of the Supreme Court (Criminal Procedure) Rules 2017. To apply to search a criminal proceeding, you will need to complete an ‘Access to Court Records Request form'. Requests may be emailed to pevzvanyqvivfvba@fhcpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocpus@noisividlanimirc or lodged in person at the Criminal Registry, Level 1, 436 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
For any enquiries, please contact the Criminal Registry by email or by phone on 03 8600 2004.
Court of Appeal files
To search a Court of Appeal proceeding, you will need to complete a ‘File Search Request' form for each court file. Requests may be emailed to pbnertvfgel@fhcpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocpus@yrtsigeraoc or lodged in person at the Court of Appeal Registry, Level 1, 436 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Documents within a criminal Court of Appeal proceeding cannot be searched unless permission is obtained in accordance with rule 1.11(4) and 1A.03(7) of the Supreme Court (Criminal Procedure) Rules 2017.
For any enquiries, please contact the Court of Appeal Registry by email on by phone on 03 8600 2001.
Probate files
Please see ‘Searching probate records’.
Requests from the media
Requests to search court files or conduct litigation searches may be emailed to zrqvnertvfgelfrnepu@fhcpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocpus@hcraesyrtsigeraidem . Please also see the media centre.
The Supreme Court only has information regarding divorce records prior to 1976. All enquiries regarding divorce records after 1976 should be directed to the Family Court of Australia. The Prothonotary will assess whether access will be given to a record and to which documents.
To obtain a copy of a pre-1976 divorce certificate you will need:
- a completed 'Application for a Copy of Divorce Information' form
- payment of the prescribed fee.
Or, if you wish to also apply to access pre-1976 divorce records you will need:
- a completed 'Application for a Copy of Divorce Information' form
- a sworn 'Affidavit in Support of application for divorce information' and
- payment of the prescribed fee.
For more information about obtaining divorce records please contact the Principal Registry.
A transcript is the written record of what has happened in Court during a trial or hearing . The transcript forms part of the official record of proceedings.
All criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court are recorded. The Victorian Government Reporting Service provides transcripts for all criminal proceedings.
In civil proceedings, the parties must arrange for the transcription of the proceeding, and bear the cost. Refer to Practice Note SC GEN 7 Transcript.
A certificate of good standing is required by practitioners as evidence that they are currently enrolled in the Victorian Supreme Court roll of barristers and solicitors so that they may practise interstate or overseas.
Obtaining a certificate of good standing
A certificate of good standing can be obtained from the Principal Registry . To apply for a certificate of good standing, the following is required:
- a certificate of fitness (for solicitors) from the Law Institute of Victoria or a certificate of good standing (for barristers) from the Victorian Bar Association
- a covering letter, setting out the date of admission, the applicant
's full name at the date of admission, return address details and the reasons why the certificate is required
Note, this letter should be sent to the registry admissions clerk on the day the application is submitted for a certificate of fitness (or shortly thereafter) - payment of the appropriate fee.
Applications for a certificate of good standing can take up to three weeks to process. Certificates are sent to applicants by registered post. Please contact the Law Institute of Victoria if your application is urgent.
For enquiries, please contact the admissions clerk on 8600 2003 or email nqzvffvbaf@fhcerzrpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocemerpus@snoissimda .
A duplicate admissions order is a certified copy of the original admission certificate.
If you require a copy of your original admission certificate, or for more information, please contact the admissions clerk at the Principal Registry on 8600 2003 or email nqzvffvbaf@fhcerzrpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocemerpus@snoissimda .
The Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Amendment Act 2014 (the Act), the Legal Profession Uniform Law (the Law) and the Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015 (the Admission Rules) came into operation on 1 July 2015.
The Admission Rules specify the academic qualifications and practical legal training prerequisite for admission, the accrediting and re-accrediting of law courses and providers of practical legal training and the procedural requirements for admission to the legal profession.
Under an Instrument of Delegation, the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB) established the Victoria Legal Admissions Committee (VLAC) to assess applicants for admission in Victoria and to grant Compliance Certificates under s 19 of the Uniform Law and grant declarations of early assessment and suitability.
For further information, please contact the Board on (03) 9604 2451 or visit http://www.lawadmissions.vic.gov.au/
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) gives you the right to request access to documents held by Court Services Victoria. For more information, view the freedom of information information on Court Services Victoria's website.
A large number of unreported judgments, sentencing remarks and judgment summaries from the 1950s to the present can be found using the Supreme Court Library catalogue.