User Registration

The iCMS is a web-based e-system implemented by the Judiciary in phases to streamline and standardize the electronic court processes, across different levels of courts as appropriate. To enhance access to justice, electronic technology is introduced as an additional option to the existing channels, to be used on a voluntary basis.

Major types of electronic services provided by the iCMS are as follows:

1. sending and receiving case-specific court documents to and from the e-Courts;
2. inspecting or searching filed documents and other case-related information held by the e-Courts;
3. searching Cause Books; and
4. making electronic payments.

Since 6 May 2022, iCMS has been implemented for two types of proceedings, namely Personal Injuries Action and Tax Claim in the District Court. It is being extended to other proceedings in the District Court and other levels of courts by phases.

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.

No. However, only a registered user of the iCMS can perform electronic transactions with the e-Courts, which include the key types of electronic services set out in A2 above. For non-registered user, electronic services available will be more limited. Key services for non-registered user are as follows:

1. electronic searching of electronic documents which may be inspected by the public;
2. electronic payments not requiring identity authentication such as searching fee for item (a) above; and
3. Document Reference Number checking function to enable court users who have received a printed copy of an electronic court document/order to ascertain as to whether it has in fact been issued by the e-Court.

1. Parties of an on-going or a new e-proceeding and their legal representatives;
2. the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong, law firms, government departments, law enforcement agencies and statutory bodies may register under the iCMS to use the services set out in A2 above; and
3. any person, or his/her legal representatives other than categories (a) and (b) above, who has provided good and sufficient reason to the satisfaction of the Judiciary Administrator for registration in connection with an on-going e-proceeding. For example, any other person having the right of audience pursuant to Section 15(1)(d) of the District Court Ordinance (Cap. 336), as allowed by leave of the Court to appear instead of a party to the e-proceedings.

Submit the prescribed application form (which can be accessed through the iCMS, downloaded from the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage or obtained from the Help Centre of the Judiciary) together with the required supporting document(s) as follows:

1. online via the iCMS (https://www.judwebportal.judiciary.hk);
2. by fax (fax no.: 2340 7819);
3. by post (address: Help Centre, 5^th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong); or
4. by hand to the Help Centre [address same as (c) above] during office hours on Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays) from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm.

The applicant will be asked to complete the identity authentication process in person (or by an authorized representative) at the Help Centre or general offices of Magistrates’ Courts (https://www.judiciary.hk/en/about_us/contactus.html#EM).

Registration as a user of the iCMS is free of charge.

1. Visit https://www.judiciary.hk/en/e_courts/index.html for access to the “Administrative Instructions on Matters relating to Registration as a User of the iCMS” and other reference materials including the e-Practice Direction, other Administrative Instructions, Terms and Conditions, Step-by-step Guides, Video Clips, Leaflets on legal issues and administrative matters, etc.
2. Send enquiry to the designated email account (e-registration@judiciary.hk).
3. Call the general enquiry hotline: 2477 1002 or the technical helpline: 2886 6474.
4. Visit the Help Centre on 5^th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.

Yes. Registration with the Judiciary for the use of the iCMS only signifies that a person/organization is generally prepared to transact with the e-Court electronically. A registered user may choose to communicate electronically with the e-Court for some proceedings, but not the others.

An IU Account is held by a person in his or her personal capacity as a party of an existing court case to carry out actual electronic transactions with the e-Court whereas an OU Account is an account created and managed by the Primary Administrator (“PA”) or Secondary Administrator (“SA”) of an Organization Account registered such as a law firm, a trading company or a government department/public agency. The OU Account holder will carry out actual electronic transactions with the e-Court on behalf of the organization concerned. Please see also A15 and A21 below.

Yes, if you are a party to an on-going or a new e-proceeding.

Accounts for barristers are managed by the Hong Kong Bar Association. Please contact the Hong Kong Bar Association which will register an Organization Account and its PA Account holder is responsible for creating OU Accounts for its members to submit case related documents such as submission, speech, skeleton arguments and list of authorities/authorities and any other written submissions in accordance with court directions as the case may be.

Yes, as they are under different Organization Accounts. You must have separate OU Accounts of two Organization Accounts, one for each of the law firms you work for, so as to file documents on behalf of your represented litigants.

A registered user will receive a reminder notification on unread messages at the email address provided by him/her to the Judiciary at day-end each day as a default arrangement. In addition, a registered user can choose to receive individual email notification at his/her email address whenever there is direction/document from the e-Court and/or the iCMS related messages sent to the Message Box under the iCMS.

An IU Account is intended for an individual litigant acting in person for his/her own case(s). Litigant-in-person who has registered for an IU Account can use the electronic services of the iCMS for the type(s) of proceedings where the use of electronic technology has been implemented.

Please refer to A2 above for the major types of electronic services under the iCMS.

These include the court case number and the party type of the court case you are involved and the applicant’s personal particulars, such as surname, given name, type and number of the identification document, address, telephone number, email address, etc.

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage on how to input/fill in the required information:

1. Demonstration video clip on “Online application by a litigant in person for an Individual User Account”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Register an Individual User (IU) Account”.

In general, IU Account will only be allowed if the litigant-in-person has an on-going or a new e-proceeding. However, a prospective litigant may apply for an IU Account before filing of a new e-proceeding but any approval will be subject to his/her filing of the e-proceeding within the period specified in the notification email for activating the account. The account will be terminated without prior notice if it is not linked to any e-proceeding upon expiry of the specified period.

Documentary proof of involvement in an on-going or a new e-proceeding is required. For instance, court documents with court case numbers, such as writs of summons or other originating documents, court orders or judgments. For litigant-in-person who wishes to register for IU Account before he/she has any court cases, he/she has to provide supporting documents/proofs such as draft writs of summons or originating documents pending submission to court to show that he/she has the intention to file a new court case.

No. Each person can register only one IU Account.

The registered email address will be used for receiving messages from the Judiciary, including the email notification for identity authentication and other emails containing sensitive information, such as user’s login name, activation code, etc. Any transactions using the relevant user’s login name and password will be deemed to be undertaken by the registered user. You are advised to use your own email address to maintain the confidentiality of such information and to protect your own interest.

Organization Accounts are generally created for users who would conduct electronic transactions with the e-Courts on behalf of:

1. the unrepresented sole-proprietorships, private and public organizations (including unincorporated or incorporated entities and partnership) who are parties to e-proceedings; and/or
2. law firms, government departments and agencies, etc. which may have frequent transactions with the courts.

There are three categories of sub-accounts for individuals of an organization, namely PA Account, SA Account and OU Account.

These include the particulars of the organization (i.e. name, registration document type and number, address, etc.) and personal particulars of PA Account applicant (i.e. surname, given name, identification document type and number, address, telephone number, email address, etc.).

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage on how to input/fill in the required information:

1. Demonstration video clip on “Online application for Primary Administrator Account”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Register a Primary Administrator (PA) Account”.

1. A letter of authorization and/or the resolution authorizing the PA Account applicant to make a registration application on behalf of the organization.
2. Proof of the organization’s involvement in on-going or new e-proceedings. Court documents with court case numbers, e.g. writs of summons or other originating documents, court orders or judgments will do. This requirement is not applicable to Hong Kong Bar Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong (“LSHK”), law firms registered with LSHK as law firms, government departments, law enforcement agencies and statutory bodies.
3. A copy of valid business registration certificate, business registration search, latest annual return registered and kept in the Companies Registry, or any supporting documents showing the status of the subject organization such as certificate of registration of a society, certificate of registration of trade union, certificate or tax exemption letter issued by Inland Revenue Department, certificate of registration of owners’ corporation.

Please refer to Annex D of the Administrative Instructions on Matters relating to Registration as a User of the iCMS for more information.

Yes, to meet the operational needs of government departments/agencies and in view of the fact that duties are performed in the capacity of official positions, the Judiciary Administrator may, at his/her discretion, allow eligible parties to register SA and/or OU Accounts on the basis of posts rather than names. To obtain the approval, PA of the organization has to make an application with justifications by sending email to the Judiciary Administration at the designated email account (e-registration@judiciary.hk).

The registered email address will be used for receiving notification from the Judiciary, including the system-generated login name and activation code for account activation. Any transactions using the relevant user’s login name and password will be deemed to be undertaken by the registered user concerned. Respective account holders of the organization are advised to use their own email addresses to maintain the confidentiality of such information and protect their own interest.

No. Login name is a unique identifier under the iCMS. All iCMS account holders should protect their login names and passwords well. Account holder should not share his/her login name with another person. Please see also A25 above.

It normally takes three working days for the Judiciary Administration to complete the vetting process and issue the notification of results. However, the processing time will be subject to the provision of all essential information in the application form and the identification/supporting documents by the applicant as specified in Annex D to the Administrative Instructions on Matters relating to Registration as a User of the iCMS. If the application is checked in order, the applicant will be notified by email to undertake an identity authentication process.

Upon checking that the application is in order, the applicant (i.e. IU Account applicant or PA Account applicant for Organization Account) will be notified by email to go to the Help Centre (address: 5^th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong) or general offices of Magistrates’ Courts (please see the addresses below) for the identity authentication in person within 30 calendar days from the date of notification. Alternatively, the applicant may authorize a personal representative to complete the process on his/her behalf. Please refer to Annex D to the Administrative Instructions on Matters relating to Registration as a User of the iCMS regarding the details of authorizing a personal representative for the identity authentication process. If the applicant fails to complete the identity authentication process within the above specified time, the application will be regarded as rejected.

If the applicant attends the Help Centre or general offices of Magistrates’ Courts (https://www.judiciary.hk/en/about_us/contactus.html#EM) in person, he/she has to present the original identification document (e.g. Hong Kong Identity Card), which should be the same as the applicant provided in the application.

If the applicant authorizes a representative to complete the identity authentication process on his/her behalf, the appointed personal representative has to present a letter of authorization signed by the applicant, copy of the applicant’s identification document, which should be the same as that provided in the application, and the representative’s original identification document. Sample letter of authorization is provided at Appendix to the application form at Annexes B and C to the Administrative Instructions on Matters relating to Registration as a User of the iCMS.

For successful application, an email inviting the IU Account applicant or PA Account applicant to activate his/her account will be sent to the email address given by the applicant during the registration application after completing the identity authentication process. The applicant has to activate his/her account with the information provided in the notification email.

The account holder concerned needs to input his/her surname, given name and contact telephone number when performing account activation so as to reconfirm the identity of the user.

For IU Account holder and PA Account holder, they have provided such information when applying to register as a user of the iCMS. As for SA and OU Account holders, since the accounts are created by a responsible PA or SA of the organization, please check with the PA/SA concerned for the relevant information if needed.

Please note the following, including the settings when inputting information during account activation:

1. the fields for surname, given name and telephone number are all inputted and matched with the particulars of user in records created;
2. 1. for the fields for surname and given name,
      1. the data inputted is not subject to case sensitive checking;
      2. the spacing on the left and the right of a word will be ignored; however, a space in-between two words, will not be skipped for checking;
   2. whereas for the field for telephone number, a space and the symbols “(”, “)” and “-” will be ignored.

Organization Code is a system-generated code which is used as an additional identifier for an Organization Account in addition to the registered organization’s name. Having successfully applied for an Organization Account, PA of the organization will be issued with a unique Organization Code for inputting to facilitate account activation, administration of PA/SA/OU Accounts and branch creation, if required. Similarly, SA and OU also need to input the Organization Code when they login the iCMS each time.

PA of an organization may create SA and OU Accounts of their organization under the iCMS. Apart from creating OU Accounts, SA may also assist PA in creating SA Accounts when empowered by PA to perform such duty.

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage on how to set up SA and OU Accounts:

1. Demonstration video clip on “How Primary Administrator and Secondary Administrator Create Secondary Administrator / Organization User Accounts”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Create SA Account and set up iCMS functional roles” and “Create OU Account and set up iCMS functional roles”

For more information on functional roles of SA and/or OU, please see also A38, A40 and A41 below.

To facilitate the administration and management of the SA/OU Accounts, it is necessary to assign an effective end date having taken into account the relevant circumstances such as the contract expiry date of the account holder. The effective end date can be revised afterwards.

For IU Account holder and PA Account holder of an organization, they are required to contact the Help Centre by email (designated email account: e-registration@judiciary.hk) or by fax (fax no.: 2340 7819) for arrangement of the password reset. An email with the reset password token named “Change Token” will be sent to their registered email address for resetting the password. The account holder may reset his/her password by clicking the button “Reset Password” at the login page. For SA and OU Account holders, PA and/or SA Account holders (same branch) are responsible for resetting password for the sub-accounts under their purview. Similarly, the “Change Token” will be sent to the registered email address of the related account holder after password is reset by the PA/SA.

The iCMS account will be locked after five consecutive unsuccessful login attempts. Re-login will be allowed after 30 minutes of the last unsuccessful login.

The PA and the SA Accounts are designated for performing account management while the OU Accounts are for conducting electronic transactions relating to e-proceedings with the e-Courts.

The PA of an organization may create SA and OU Accounts of the organization under the iCMS. When creating the accounts, PA may consider authorizing individual SA with the relevant optional role(s) as marked with * in the table below to meet their operational needs as appropriate.

The roles of the PA, SA and OU Account holders are illustrated below:

PA Account holder is authorized by the organization to administer the accounts within the organization. He/she is the representative of the organization in the use of the iCMS and will have full responsibilities in account management matters for the organization. In view of the important roles, the organization should consider assigning suitable person to perform this role. SA Account holders will assist in the day-to-day administration and management of SA/OU Accounts. OU Account holders are to conduct electronic transactions with the e-Courts. Taking a law firm as example, possible segregation of responsibilities is provided in the table below for information:

An SA has been empowered with basic functions under the iCMS. A PA may consider assigning optional roles for SA in A38 above to strengthen support from an SA.

For example, an SA can assist the PA in the daily account management to create accounts for other SAs and update their account profiles in the iCMS. To achieve this, the PA has to assign the optional role of “To create SA Account” to an SA when creating the SA Account.

As to day-to-day assignment of court cases to OU to conduct electronic transaction with the e-Courts, a PA has to assign court case to an SA by case profile or by case number before the SA can further assign the case type or individual case to relevant OU(s) under the same branch. [For details on these two means of case assignment, please see A41 below.] Furthermore, if an SA is considered a suitable officer to help out all case assignment work on all OUs of the same branch or various branches for the PA, the PA may consider assigning the optional roles of “To link-up case to OU Accounts (same branch)” or “To link-up case to OU Accounts (all branches)” to this SA when creating his/her account so that this SA can take up the full duty of assigning court cases to all OUs in the same branch or different branches of the organization without any prior assignment of cases from PA.

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage on how to assign these optional roles to an SA:

1. Demonstration video clip on “How Primary Administrator and Secondary Administrator Create Secondary Administrator / Organization User Accounts”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Create SA Account and set up iCMS functional roles”.

In such case, PA can assign court cases to an SA, either by case profile or by case number, and then the SA can further assign the cases to OUs under the same branch.

For assignment of court cases by case profile, it would mean that the designated SA account will be linked up with cases relating to the specified levels of court and types of proceedings. In other words, once the assignment has been done by case profile, no further account link-up between that case type and the respective SA account will be required.

If a more stringent control of case assignment is required, a PA may assign cases to an SA by case numbers.

Please refer to the following reference materials on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage on how to assign these functions to SA:

1. Demonstration video clip on “How Primary Administrator Assigns Court Case to Secondary Administrator (by Profile)” and “How Primary Administrator Assigns Court Case to Secondary Administrator (by Case Number)”; and
2. Step-by-step guide on “Assign court case(s) to OU Account(s) by SA of same branch, including assignment by PA (by profile)” and “Assign court case(s) to OU Account(s) by SA of same branch, including assignment by PA (by case number)”.

No. All OU Accounts should be created by the PA or the SA of that organization. Please contact your organization’s PA or the relevant SA for creating the account, as the case may be.

A default OU of an organization is the centralized point to receive messages of those court cases linked with the organization that are not yet assigned to any OU Accounts. If an OU Account holder is designated as the default OU Account holder, he/she will, on top of his/her own iCMS roles, receive case-specific messages of all court cases which have not been assigned to any OU of the organization. PA Account holder will have to designate one or more (but not more than five) OU Accounts as the default OU. The first created OU Account of the organization will be set as default OU to receive case-specific messages by the iCMS. PA or SA Account holder(s) (as appropriate) may update the setting in accordance with the internal policy of the organization.

To designate an OU as default OU, the PA or SA Account holder(s) may, after login, select the menu “Assign default OU Account(s) and court case(s)” and go to the page of “Maintain default OU Account”. After retrieving the OU Account holder concerned from the system, the PA or SA can set him/her as default OU by ticking the checkbox under “ASSIGN/REMOVE AN OU AS THE DEFAULT OU ACCOUNT”.

Please refer to the step-by-step guide on “Maintain default OU Account” on the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage on how to designate an OU as default OU.

It is because an OU Account holder can perform the iCMS functions, such as electronic filing, only after his account has been linked-up with a court case.

There are three ways for the holders of the IU Account and Organization Account to indicate the wish of linking up with a court case:

1. an applicant for IU Account or Primary Administrator Account of an Organization can, during the account registration, list out the e-proceeding(s) in which the applicant opts to transact with the e-Courts by the iCMS;
2. an IU Account holder or Organization Account can opt to link up the IU and OU Accounts with a particular case by lodging a Notice of Consent to transact with the e-Court by means of the iCMS (sample is at Annex E of the Administrative Instructions on Matters relating to Registration as a User of the iCMS). Such notice can be sent to the respective court registries by hand or by electronic submissions.
3. when an OU Account holder or IU Account holder files an originating document through the iCMS to commence a new court case, or certain types of document (e.g. Acknowledgment of Service of an originating document, Defence (or Defence and Counterclaim), Notice to Act, etc.), after the document(s) is/are accepted for submission and the processing by the Court has been completed, the iCMS will link up the concerned user’s account with that case automatically. For Organization Account, the PA or SA should then assign the court case to OU Account holder(s).

After login, the account holder may select the menu “Update Your Profile” and change his/her particulars in the page “Maintain User Profile”.

Apart from updating the profile of user account, a case party or the legal representative of a case party should separately notify the Court and the other case party/parties of any changes relating to his/her/their contact details.

IU Account holder can send a notification for termination of his/her IU Account to the Help Centre by post (address: 5^th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong), by fax (fax no.: 2340 7819) or by email (designated email account: e-registration@judiciary.hk).

In general, an IU Account will only be allowed if the litigant has an on-going or a new e-proceeding. Unless otherwise stated, an IU Account will generally be de-activated three months after the final disposal of the last e-proceeding relating to that account holder with prior notice to be sent to the Message Box on the iCMS for the account holder concerned.

The maximum number of sub-accounts and branches by default under each Organization Account are as follows:

If an organization needs to create more of the above-mentioned accounts and/or branches, it is required to seek the Judiciary Administration’s approval with justifications.

Yes, subject to the maximum number set out in A49 above. After login to the iCMS, PA can use the Organization Accounts Maintenance Function to initiate “Request Change of Organization Configuration”. Upon submission, the request with justifications will be sent to the Judiciary Administration for approval. The PA will be notified of the result and the configuration will be changed accordingly if the request is approved.

There are two ways the organization can do with the PA Account:

1. ask the partners/owners or authorized representative of the organization to submit an online application, or send a request to the Judiciary Administration by email to the designated email account (e-registration@judiciary.hk) for replacement of the PA Account holder. The requester will need to submit relevant details for the application of the new PA Account, together with all the required supporting documents and the reason(s) for the change. The Judiciary Administration will then process the application; or
2. ask the PA Account holder or the authorized representative of the organization to send email to the designated email account (e-registration@judiciary.hk) to seek termination of PA Account within three working days as far as practicable if the account holder is no longer representing an organization.

If all PA Accounts of an organization are terminated, no SA/OU Accounts of that organization can be used any more.

Apart from case related messages, reminder on administrative matters, such as reminder on change of account password, will be sent to the Message Box of the iCMS.