Last Updated: 23 January 2026
Introduction
Courts Listings (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency in how we handle personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under UK data protection law.
This policy applies to all users of courtslistings.co.uk and complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Data Controller
Courts Listings is the data controller for the personal data we process through our website. You can contact us at: [email protected]
Information We Collect
Court Listings Data
We collect and publish court hearing lists from publicly available sources, including magistrates’ courts and Crown courts across the United Kingdom. This may include:
- Names of defendants
- Case reference numbers
- Hearing dates and times
- Court locations
Important: To protect privacy, we automatically mask the names in our listings. For example, “John Smith” would appear as “****** Smith”.
Website Usage Data
When you visit our website, we may collect:
- IP addresses
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Pages visited and time spent on pages
- Referring website addresses
- Date and time of visits
This information is collected through standard web server logs and may include cookies or similar technologies.
Privacy Request Data
When you submit a privacy request through our removal tool, we collect:
- The specific data you wish to have removed
- Any additional information you provide to help us locate your data
- The date and time of your request
We do not require registration, identification, or personal contact details to submit a privacy request.
Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal data under the following legal bases:
Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR)
Our primary legal basis is legitimate interests. We have a legitimate interest in:
- Promoting transparency in the justice system and upholding the principle of open justice
- Providing a public service that aggregates publicly available court information
- Supporting legal professionals, journalists, and the public in accessing court listings
We have balanced these interests against individuals’ rights and freedoms and have implemented safeguards such as masking first names.
Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c) UK GDPR)
We may process data to comply with legal obligations, such as responding to lawful requests from law enforcement or regulatory authorities.
Public Interest (Article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR)
The publication of court listings serves the public interest in maintaining an open and transparent justice system, which is a cornerstone of UK law.
How We Use Your Information
Court Listings
We use court listing data to:
- Provide a searchable database of daily hearing lists
- Enable users to find information about specific court proceedings
- Support the principle of open justice
- Facilitate access to publicly available court information
Website Analytics
We use website usage data to:
- Improve our website’s functionality and user experience
- Understand how users interact with our service
- Identify and fix technical issues
- Monitor and prevent misuse of our platform
Data Sources
All court listing data is obtained from publicly available sources, including:
- Official court cause lists published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service
- Court websites and public notice boards
- Other publicly accessible court records
We do not create, alter, or verify the accuracy of court listings—we simply aggregate and republish information that courts have made publicly available.
Privacy Safeguards
We have implemented several measures to protect individual privacy:
Name Masking: All first names and middle names are automatically replaced with ****** to reduce the identifiability of individuals whilst maintaining the public record.
Removal Tool: We provide a straightforward mechanism for individuals to request the removal of their data without requiring registration or identification.
Data Minimisation: We only publish information that appears in official court listings and do not collect or add additional personal details.
No Commentary: We present factual court listing information without editorial content or commentary.
Data Retention
Court Listings: We retain court listing data in line with the principle that court proceedings are part of the public record. However, we recognise that individuals may have legitimate reasons to request removal of their data, which we will consider on a case-by-case basis.
Website Logs: We retain website usage logs for up to 12 months for security and analytical purposes.
Privacy Requests: We retain records of privacy requests for up to 3 years to track compliance and prevent duplicate processing.
Your Rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:
Right of Access: You can request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and obtain a copy of that data.
Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct inaccurate personal data, though please note that we reproduce court listings as published and cannot alter official court records.
Right to Erasure: You can request the deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances. Use our privacy request tool at courtslistings.co.uk/privacy-request/ to submit a removal request.
Right to Restriction: You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations.
Right to Object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation.
Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
How to Exercise Your Rights
Data Removal Requests
To request the removal of your data from our court listings, please use our dedicated privacy request tool:
Privacy Request Tool: courtslistings.co.uk/privacy-request/
No registration or identification is required. Simply provide sufficient detail to help us locate the specific listing you wish to have removed. We will process your request promptly and inform you of the outcome.
Other Privacy Rights
For all other privacy-related requests or questions, please email us at: [email protected]
We will respond to all requests within one month, though this may be extended by two further months where requests are complex or numerous.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Remember your preferences
- Analyse website traffic and user behaviour
- Improve website functionality
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
For detailed information about the cookies we use, please see our Cookie Policy.
Third-Party Services
We may use third-party services to help operate our website, such as:
- Web hosting providers
- Analytics services
- Content delivery networks
These third parties may have access to your personal data only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and UK data protection law.
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their marketing purposes.
International Data Transfers
We primarily store and process data within the United Kingdom. If we transfer data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by UK data protection law, such as:
- Adequacy decisions
- Standard contractual clauses
- Other lawful transfer mechanisms
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- Secure server infrastructure
- Encryption of data in transit
- Access controls and authentication
- Regular security assessments
- Staff training on data protection
However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed at children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child, we will take steps to delete it promptly.
Note that court listings may include information about minors involved in court proceedings. Where such information appears in official court listings, we publish it in accordance with the open justice principle, though we apply the same name masking protections.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Significant changes will be highlighted on our website.
Open Justice and Privacy Balance
We recognise the tension between the principle of open justice and individual privacy rights. Courts publish hearing lists to ensure transparency and public access to the justice system—a fundamental principle in UK law established through centuries of legal precedent and affirmed by the European Court of Human Rights.
Our service simply aggregates this publicly available information to make it more accessible. However, we also recognise that circumstances change, and individuals may have legitimate reasons to request the removal of their information, particularly where:
- Proceedings have concluded
- Cases have been withdrawn or dismissed
- There are safeguarding concerns
- Continued publication causes disproportionate harm
We will consider all removal requests carefully and balance the public interest in transparency against individual privacy rights.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first at [email protected] so we can try to resolve the issue.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: ico.org.uk
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Email: [email protected]
Privacy Request Tool: courtslistings.co.uk/privacy-request/
We are committed to working with you to obtain a fair resolution of any privacy concerns. Learn more about us.