1. How do I get a copy of a court order?
When a judge or the Master of the High Court has made an order, the order setting out the details is prepared and perfected (signed) by a Registrar.
Parties to a case or solicitors can request both plain and attested (signed and certified) copies of orders. For the majority of purposes, plain copies are acceptable. However, an attested copy, which attracts court stamp duty - currently €15.00 - is required for some purposes.
If you are representing yourself you can request a copy of an order by email. If you are represented by a solicitor, your solicitor must make the request. The email must include the High Court record number, the title of the case, date of the order and, in the case of solicitors, the party they represent.
To request a plain copy, send an email to: highcourtbespeaks@courts.ie.
To request an attested copy order (e.g. for an official purpose or appeal), you must book an appointment online with the Central Office and attend in person.
To book an appointment go to the online booking system. Select ‘Central Office’ and make the appointment with ‘High Court Attested Orders and Documents Collection’.
You will be provided with available dates and times to select from. When completed you will receive a confirmation email of your appointment details.
Customers are asked to ensure the following when attending;
- The order has been perfected by checking the High Court Search
- They have a fee card of €15 per order which can be obtained from the Stamping Office (where fees apply).
- They have photographic ID (may be requested).
- The have the High Court Record number, case title and date of order(s) being requested.
2. How do I contact a registrar?
To contact a registrar about an order, email highcourtcentraloffice@courts.ie. Please state that the email is for the attention of the registrar in the subject line. You should include the High Court record number, the title of the case, date of the order and the party you represent.
3. How do I get a copy of a document from the court file?
If you represent yourself you can make the request. If you are represented by a solicitor the solicitor must make the request. If the case has concluded you can request a copy document. You must pay court stamp duty - currently €15.00 - for each copy of a document.
The request for a copy document should be made in person at the Central Office and you must attend at the office to collect your document(s). It can take two to three working days to process the copy document.
4. How do I get a copy of a written judgment?
A written judgment which usually concludes a case sets out the reasons for a decision delivered by a judge. More commonly, an ex tempore (oral) judgement may be delivered. Judgments can be downloaded free of charge from this website.
For an attested copy of a judgment (e.g. to lodge an appeal) email highcourtjudgments@courts.ie. You should include the High Court record number, the title of the case and the date of the judgment. You must pay court stamp duty - currently €14.00 plus €1.00 for every four pages - on attested copies of written judgments. We will tell you how much is payable when we receive your request.
You must collect the attested copy judgment in person from the Central Office. If you are representing yourself, we will ask you for photographic identification when collecting the copy.
5. Appealing a High Court Order to the Court of Appeal
An Order of the High Court can be appealed to the Court of Appeal
Appealing an Order or Decision of the High Court - Order 86a of the Rules of the Superior Courts
6. Appeal of order of the Master of the High Court
An Order of the Master of the High Court can be appealed to the High Court.
To appeal an order, you should file a notice of motion and affidavit in the Central Office and you will be allocated a date by the office.
If the Master refused to grant the application, you have six days to file the notice of motion appealing the decision. If the Master grants the application, you have six days from the date of perfection of the order to appeal the decision.
Appealing an Order of the Master of the High Court - Order 63 Rule 9 Rules of the Superior Courts.
7. How do I get a transcript of a Digital Audio Recording?
Court hearings are recorded using Digital Audio Recordings (DAR). If you require a transcript of the DAR, you must apply to the judge who heard the matter. You do this by way of notice of motion and grounding affidavit. (S.I. No. 101 of 2013: Rules of the Superior Courts (Order 123) 2013).
The notice of motion will be listed before the judge who heard the matter, on a date assigned by the Principal Registrar. It should include the High Court record number, title of the case, the date on which the case was heard, the judge who heard the matter and the court room where the case was heard. The notice of motion must be served on the other parties to the case. The judge can decide to give access to all or part of the record and whether any terms and conditions apply.
An application will only be granted on the undertaking of the applicant to pay for the transcript, unless the judge directs otherwise.
If the judge grants an order to obtain a transcript you should contact Epiq Global Limited (who are contracted to the Courts Service) and provide them with a copy of the order. The costs involved in obtaining a transcript are not a matter for the Courts Service.
Contact Epiq Global Limited at: 4 Chancery Lane, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 571 0220. Email:
8. Court awards to children and accessing awards when turning 18
Money awarded to a child at the conclusion of a case is invested by the Courts Service until the child turns eighteen unless otherwise directed by the court.
Some of the money may be released to meet health and welfare needs before the child turns eighteen. The person who is called ‘the Next Friend’ (usually a parent or guardian) can make a request for the release by email or by post.
All correspondence should include the name of the child and, where available, the High Court record number and the title of the case. The request should include the reason for the payment (supported by relevant invoices and quotations) and the name and contact phone number of the next friend. Alternatively, you can attend in person to make the request in court. In this case, please contact the Central Office in advance.
To make a request via email, please insert ‘Minor Request’ in the subject line and send to
highcourtcentraloffice@courts.ie
To make a request via post, please send to: Minor Payments, Central Office, High Court, Four Courts, Dublin 7.
Requests are usually considered by the Master of the High Court. You should apply two months before you require the payment to allow time to consider the request. If the Master approves the request, the Courts Service Accountants Office will contact the next friend of the child about payment. Payment can be sent by cheque or bank transfer.
Requests for money to be released upon the minor reaching eighteen should be made directly to the Courts Service Accountants Office .
9. Remitting the Case to the Circuit Court
When an order is made remitting a High Court case to the Circuit Court, the file is transferred to the relevant Circuit Court Office once the order has been perfected.
10. Orders to be entered in the Central Office
Some High Court orders require to be produced by a party/solicitor in the Central Office with correct documentation. This applies most commonly where parties are joined, a summons is amended or the title of the proceedings has changed. In these cases, the original summons should be brought to the office.
The Rules of the Superior Courts set out the procedures for other instances where the order must be entered in the Central Office.