Reading judgments
Court judgments can seem complicated if you haven't read them before. We’ll help you understand how judgments are structured and how to find the information you need.
What you'll learn
Court judgments follow common patterns and structures. Once you understand these patterns, reading any judgment is easier.
Understanding judgments and decisions explains:
- the typical structure of a judgment
- how judges present their reasoning
- understanding the outcome and orders
- reading legal citations and references
- different types of decisions and what they mean
Why judgment structure matters
Judges write judgments to explain their decisions and reasoning. Understanding the structure helps you:
- find the key information quickly
- follow the judge's legal reasoning
- understand how the law applies to the case
- see which parts are binding precedent
Getting started with reading judgments
If you're reading a judgment for the first time, start with Understanding judgments and decisions . This guide takes you through a judgment section by section, explaining what each part contains and why it matters.
If you’re already familiar with judgments
You can go straight to Search and Browse to find the cases you need.