Ministry of Justice orders deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting database
PostsNews Ministry of Justice orders deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting database By Legal Cheek on Feb 11 2026 11:30am 4 Blow for open justice A digital archive that helped journalists track criminal court cases is being shut down by the Ministry of Justice. Courtsdesk will reportedly be deleted within days after HM Courts & Tribunals Service ordered every record wiped. The platform had been used by more than 1,500 reporters from 39 media outlets to search magistrates’ court lists and registers, but the move has triggered warnings that important cases could now go unreported. Courtsdesk says it repeatedly found the media wasn’t being told about hearings, with two-thirds of courts regularly hearing cases without notifying journalists. The…
