The Illinois Supreme Court entered an order allowing free remote public access to reviewing court documents effective May 1, 2025. The reviewing courts include the Illinois Supreme Court and the five appellate courts.
The order includes three elements:
1. The reviewing courts shall submit all non-confidential documents filed in cases filed on or after April 1, 2025, to re:SearchIL.
2. Beginning May 1, 2025, non-confidential cases and documents filed on or after April 1, 2025, by the reviewing courts to re:SearchIL shall be made available in re:SearchIL to all user groups in the Illinois Supreme Court Remote Access Policy.
3. Effective immediately, the fee for electronic remote access to documents imposed pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 313(c) is suspended until further order of the Court. This order furthers the Supreme Court’s goal of providing statewide remote public access to nonconfidential court documents.
Since late last summer, a working group convened by the Supreme Court has been working toward implementation of public access to records of the reviewing court. The working group is headed by Appellate Justice Eugene Doherty. “The Court is pleased to make these statewide records available online for the public free of charge,” Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis said. “This was no easy lift. It is something that has never been done in Illinois and required a tremendous effort to make happen.”
Throughout the process, the Supreme Court has had to balance two competing goals: easy public access to reviewing court records while also protecting confidential information that may be contained in those records. The balance has been struck by setting a “going forward” date for record availability. Records from April 1, 2025, going forward will be available once public access is opened on May 1, 2025. Additional information is available in an FAQ sheet included with this release. With public access to reviewing court documents now set, the Court will shift focus to statewide public access in the 102 county courts.
Original source can be found here.