Inspect filed document and cause book

iCMS will be implemented for the following 11 selected case types of the High Court by phases at the initial stage:

1. Civil Appeal (CACV)
2. Commercial Action (HCCL)
3. Intellectual Property Case (HCIP)
4. Construction and Arbitration Proceedings (HCCT)
5. Personal Injuries Action (HCPI)
6. Civil Action (HCA)
7. Probate Action (HCAP)
8. Miscellaneous Proceedings of the Court of Appeal (CAMP)
9. Magistracy Appeal (HCMA)
10. Miscellaneous Proceedings (Criminal) (HCCP)
11. Intended Action (HCZZ)

The iCMS external functions will be rolled out first at the Civil Appeal (CACV) of the High Court on 30 June 2025.

Please refer to the implementation notice(s) issued by the Chief Justice currently in force for details. The information can be found on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage.

Please note that some of the above case types are not applicable for e-document inspection (i.e. HCMA, HCCP and HCZZ) and e-cause book inspection (i.e. HCCP and HCZZ).

You may access iCMS through your own electronic devices. Or, you may use the electronic devices at the respective Court Registry or the Resource Centre during their opening hours.

Opening hours are as follows:

Address of the Resource Centre is as follows:

Room LG105, Lower Ground Floor 1, High Court Building,
38 Queensway, Hong Kong

Yes, there is a prescribed search fee. In order to encourage the use of iCMS, a concessionary rate of $14 (for each document or case referred to or required) is chargeable for a period of three years since 30 June 2025, i.e. 80% of the existing fee level as specified in the relevant legislation, e.g. the Court Proceedings (Electronic Technology) (High Court) (Electronic Fees) Rules, Cap. 638K for the relevant High Court fee item.

You will be provided with an acknowledgement and a payment receipt after your request for inspection of documents and payment are accepted. Please keep record for reference or enquiry.

Please be reminded that the existing fee of $18 (for each document or case referred to or required) as specified in the relevant legislation, e.g. the High Court Fees Rules, Cap. 4D for the relevant High Court fee item, is chargeable when payment is settled at the Accounts Office instead of via iCMS.

Subject to the operating hours of iCMS which may be closed due to any necessary system maintenance or as may be specified by the Judiciary from time to time, electronic inspection is normally valid for 7 hours 45 minutes upon payment of the prescribed fee.

In addition, if you are a non-registered user and use the one-time access code obtained from the respective Court Registry to conduct inspection with the aid of the electronic devices provided thereat, your inspection will only last until the end of the opening hours of the Court Registry. For example, if you obtain the one-time access code at 3:00 pm on a business day, your inspection will only last until 5:30 pm of that business day. Please refer to A10 and A13 below for more information on the use of the one-time access code.

Yes, you may download or print any documents when you are inspecting documents using iCMS.

If you are using the electronic devices at the respective Court Registry or the Resource Centre and wish to print any documents, you have to settle the required printing charges using an Octopus card. And if you wish to download any documents, please bring your own portable storage devices, e.g. USB drives.

Charges for the self-service printing (and photocopying) services are as follows:

Subject to the relevant legislation (e.g. Order 63, rule 4(2) of the Rules of the High Court, Cap. 4A), a party is entitled to search and inspect documents filed upon payment of the prescribed fee.

A party or its legal representative may under normal circumstances conduct a search of and inspect case documents by electronic means via iCMS upon payment of the prescribed fee.

However, it is possible that records of a case may consist of (i) electronic documents that are available for inspection via iCMS, and (ii) physical documents that for operational reasons are not/cannot be converted into an electronic mode, hence inspection via iCMS is not available. If a document is not available for inspection via iCMS, the party or its legal representative should physically approach the respective Court Registry to conduct the search and inspection in the conventional mode.

For more information on how to inspect documents using iCMS, please refer to A7 if you are a registered user and A10 if you are not a registered user.

To inspect case documents, an IU/OU account holder is required to login his/her registered user account. Select “Inspection of Document” ➔ “Inspect Filed Document”, input the court case number and settle the payment online as appropriate.

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage for more information:

1. Demonstration video clip on “How to inspect case documents by case party/legal representative?”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Inspect case documents by case party/legal representative” (1,360 KB).

Some documents are not searchable for various reasons, e.g. scanning/processing work is in progress, scanning is impractical for oversized documents, etc.

You will be provided with a list of non-searchable documents in iCMS before making payment.

You may not be allowed access to the case documents for various reasons. Some of the possible reasons are as follows:

1. You are not the party or legal representative of the case based on the court records.
2. Your account has not been formally linked up with the case concerned. For OU account holder, please check with your Primary Administrator (or Secondary Administrator) for the proper case assignment. See A8 of the Frequently Asked Questions on “Electronic Filing”.

You may go to the respective Court Registry or the Resource Centre during their opening hours to conduct the search and inspection of case documents.

Subject to identity authentication and payment of the prescribed fee, you will be given a one-time access code to conduct the search and inspection of case documents by using the electronic devices provided at the Court Registry or the Resource Centre.

A non-party may only conduct the search and inspection of the copy of any Writ of Summons or other originating processes in accordance with the relevant legislation (e.g. Order 63, rule 4(1)(a) of the Rules of the High Court, Cap. 4A) via iCMS upon payment of the prescribed fee.

If a document is not available for inspection via iCMS, you should physically approach the respective Court Registry to conduct the search and inspection in the conventional mode.

Select “Inspect Filed Document” and input the court case number and settle the payment online as appropriate.

Or, if you are a registered user, you may select “Inspection of Document” ➔ “Inspect Filed Document” after login to iCMS.

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage for more information:

1. Demonstration video clip on “How to inspect case originating document?”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Inspect case originating document”. (1,319 KB)

You may visit the respective Court Registry during its opening hours to obtain a one-time access code after paying the prescribed search fee of HK$18 (for each document or case referred to or required) in the Accounts Office so as to conduct the search and inspection of case documents by using the electronic devices provided at the respective Court Registry or the Resource Centre.

All court users, including those who have not registered for iCMS, may inspect the cause books using iCMS upon payment of the prescribed fee.

Select “Inspect Cause Book” and provide the required information and settle the payment online as appropriate.

Or, if you are a registered user, you may select “Inspection of Document” ➔ “Inspect Cause Book” after login to iCMS.

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage for more information:

1. Demonstration video clip on “How to inspect cause book?”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Inspect cause book” (1,402 KB).

See A13 of Part C above.