HOW DO YOU SEARCH FEDERAL COURT CASES?

WHAT IS FEDERAL LAW SEARCH?

Federal Law Search is available through the Commonwealth Courts Portal. It provides selected information about Federal Court cases that commenced from 1 January 1984 onwards and can be accessed by members of the public.

It is a useful starting point for identifying whether a company, person or organisation is involved in a Federal Court proceeding. Cases involving a pseudonym are not searchable through Federal Law Search.

WHAT INFORMATION CAN YOU FIND?

Depending on the matter, Federal Law Search can help identify:

• the case title and file number
• parties and legal representatives
• court events and listing information
• orders and links to published judgments
• the progress of a proceeding

Researchers can use a case or party name to establish the existence of a proceeding, locate the relevant file number and identify other available public Court material.

CAN YOU ACCESS FEDERAL COURT FILINGS?

Not every filed court document is available to the public. Parties to a case may access eligible documents through the Commonwealth Courts Portal after registration and connection to their files.

For non-parties, access to documents depends on the Court's rules and the circumstances of the proceeding. The Court may approve, refuse or place conditions on an access request. Some matters also have public online files containing selected unrestricted documents, affidavits, submissions, orders and reasons for judgment.

WHY FEDERAL COURT CASES MATTER

Federal Court proceedings can be important research leads for lawyers, litigation teams, M&A professionals, investment analysts, insurance professionals, compliance teams and journalists.

A case can reveal a significant dispute, regulatory action, insolvency event, commercial issue or legal risk affecting a company, executive, industry or transaction. Court information should always be read in context and does not, by itself, establish liability or the final outcome of a matter.

HOW DATAV3 HELPS

DATAV3 brings millions of records from more than 50 Australian government and public sources into one search workflow. Search Federal Court cases alongside ASIC records, company information, government contracts, AFCA determinations, parliamentary material and other relevant datasets.

This helps lawyers, litigation teams, M&A professionals, investment analysts, insurance professionals, procurement teams and journalists assess legal, commercial and regulatory context more efficiently.

OFFICIAL SOURCE

Federal Court of Australia: Federal Law Search ↗

Last reviewed: 5 September 2026