Consolidated practice directions

___________________________________________________________ 
1.
The legislation relating to access, and the procedure for applying for 
access, to information, records and other things held by the Court 
differs according to the type of proceedings. 
2.
Access to information, documents and other things held by the Court 
involves balancing three competing principles: open justice, privacy 
and practicality. 
3.
Any person using the Court's website may access any information and 
records on the website, if the website is being used lawfully (O 67B 
r 11(1)). 
4.
Any person who is an authorised user of the Court's electronic case 
management system (ECMS) may access information or records related 
to a proceeding if the ECMS, when used lawfully, allows access (O 67B 
r 11(2); see also Practice Direction 1.1.4 - Registration as an authorised 
user of the ECMS). 
General Division (Civil proceedings and General Division Appeals) and 
Court of Appeal proceedings 
 
5.
The regimes for access to information, records and other things held by 
the Court are contained in O 67B of the Rules. 
6.
The regimes differ depending on whether the person seeking access is a 
party or a non-party to a proceeding in which the information, record 
or other thing held by the Court is sought. In the case of non-parties, 
the regimes also differ depending on whether or not the person seeking 
access is a media representative; and whether the proceeding was 
commenced before 1 March 2018, or on or after 1 March 2018 (see O 67B 
r 2(1), (2) and O 67B Div 7; see also the further discussion below). 
7.
Order 67B of the Rules does not apply to certain types of documents: 
subpoenaed records (O 67B r 2(3)(a)(i)); records not formally admitted 
into evidence as an exhibit or marked for identification (O 67B 
r 2(3)(a)(ii)); information, records or things no longer held by the Court 
(O 67B r 2(3)(b)); administrative records sent or received by the Court 

---

3. Recording or transmitting proceedings 
PD 3.3 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
(O 67B r 2(3)(c)(i)); documents not filed (O 67B r 2(3)(c)(ii)); and 
documents which are not part of an index or other record of all cases in 
the Court (O 67B r 2(3)(c)(iii)). 
8.
Order 67B of the Rules does not affect any right to be given access to 
information or a record or a thing that a person has under any other 
legislation (O 67B r 3). 
9.
It should be noted that O 67B does not prevent the Court from 
releasing, on its own initiative, any information, record or thing to any 
person, on any terms and conditions and in any manner, it thinks fit (O 
67B r 4). The Court may also make an order on its own initiative, or on 
the application of any person, to restrict access (O 67B r 5).