The public should have access to all documents before a court, the Supreme Court has ruled in a decision described as a victory for open justice.
Lady Hale, the president of the court, said that anyone who was not involved in a specific case but wanted to see the documents referred to in hearings would need to explain why, and how granting access would advance the principle of open justice.
Giving judgment, Lady Hale said: “The default position is that the public should be allowed access, not only to the parties’ submissions and arguments, but also to the documents which have been placed before the court and referred to during the hearing, which are not limited to those the judge has been asked to or