eFiles – Access Court Documents Online

Visiting the registry to access court documents may soon be a thing of the past following the launch of a new pilot project called eFiles at the Queensland Courts.

eFiles allows court users to access Planning and Environment Court documents 24-hours a day, seven days a week via the Queensland Courts website.

Planning and Environment Court Registrar Peta Stilgoe said the new online system will provide a number of benefits to court users including reduced costs and immediate access to documents.

“The system will be trialled in the Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane, and if it is successful, eFiles may be implemented in other jurisdictions across the state,” Ms Stilgoe said.

eFiles documents can be located using the website’s existing eCourts party search facility.

If a document is available online, a PDF icon will appear next to the document information. Clicking on the icon will open an electronic copy of the document which can then be printed or viewed online.

As with all eCourts initiatives, the new system requires no additional software to use.

Ms Stilgoe said privacy concerns had been taken into account throughout the development of the new system and documents marked private or confidential are not available online.

“The Planning and Environment Court was specifically chosen because it deals with matters of public interest,” Ms Stilgoe said.

“This will allow us to test the system without compromising the privacy of individuals.

“If the system is rolled out on a wider scale, further consultation will take place to consider how the principles set out in David Solomon’s report on freedom of information will affect the service.”

The eFiles Pilot Project is helping the Queensland Courts to assess the benefits, costs and challenges of converting registry operations from a paper-based to an online system.

The pilot project is part of the Future Courts Program which was established to create a modern, innovative and effective courts system for Queensland.

The Future Courts Program is developing relevant and easy to use online services for litigants, their legal representatives and the broader community. It is also improving registry operations through the more effective use of information, new technology, and process innovation.

For more information about eFiles or the Future Courts Program phone 07 3405 4502 or go to www.courts.qld.gov.au.