Ministry of Justice orders deletion of the UK's largest court reporting database

Source: Hacker News

Overview

A digital archive that helped journalists track criminal court cases, Courtsdesk, is set to be deleted within days after the HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) ordered every record wiped. The platform was used by more than 1,500 reporters from 39 media outlets to search magistrates’ court lists and registers. The shutdown has raised concerns that important cases could go unreported.

Background

• Launch: 2020, following an agreement with HMCTS and approval by the Lord Chancellor and former Justice Minister Chris Philp.
• Usage: Enabled journalists to locate hearings that were otherwise not communicated to the press; two‑thirds of courts regularly heard cases without notifying journalists.

Government Action

• Cessation notice: Issued by HMCTS in November, citing “unauthorised sharing” of court information.
• Deletion order: HMCTS ordered the complete removal of Courtsdesk’s database, stating the move protects sensitive data after the platform sent information to a third‑party AI company.

Attempts to Save the Service

• Founder’s outreach: Courtsdesk founder Enda Leahy wrote to government agencies 16 times seeking to preserve the service.
• ICO request: Leahy asked for the matter to be referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office, but the request yielded no action.
• Ministerial appeal: Former Justice Minister Chris Philp approached current courts minister Sarah Sackman to request that the archive not be deleted; the government refused the request last week.

Reported Figures

• Data accuracy: HMCTS’s own records were accurate only 4.2 % of the time.
• Unnotified hearings: Approximately 1.6 million criminal hearings proceeded without any advance notice to the press.

“We built the only system that could tell journalists what was actually happening in the criminal courts,” Leahy told The Times.

Official Statements

• An HMCTS spokesperson affirmed that the press would continue to have full access to court information to support accurate reporting.
• The agency emphasized that the action was taken to protect sensitive data after Courtsdesk shared information with a third‑party AI provider.

Current Status

• Journalists’ access to court information remains intact; listings and records are still available through official channels.

— Ministry of Justice (@MoJGovUK) February 10, 2026.