WHAT IS REDCREST-SEARCH?

RedCrest-Search enables users to lodge litigation searches for civil or probate proceedings, and request Court file searches for all Trial Division and Court of Appeal proceedings. For  probate searches, please see 'searching probate records'. 

ARE THERE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USING REDCREST-SEARCH?

Yes. When you sign up for an account with RedCrest-Search you will need to agree to the RedCrest-Search terms and conditions of use. You can view the terms and conditions of use on the Supreme Court of Victoria website.

I AM ALREADY A REGISTERED REDCREST USER, WILL THOSE DETAILS WORK FOR REDCREST-SEARCH?

No. You will need to register as a user for RedCrest-Search, even if you are registered to use RedCrest or RedCrest-Probate. You can use the same email address to register for RedCrest-Search.

CAN I REGISTER MULTIPLE USERS FROM ONE LAW FIRM?

Yes. If you would like to register multiple users, you must complete the registration steps for each user.

CAN I REGISTER SEVERAL ACCOUNTS WITH ONE EMAIL ADDRESS?

No. You will only be able to register one account with each email address.

I REGISTERED, BUT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION EMAIL

You should receive an email that asks you to verify your email address after you have completed the online registration process. If you have not received the email, please check your spam or junk folder. You can also request a new verification email through RedCrest-Search.

I AM TRYING TO LOGIN, BUT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A ONE-TIME-PASSCODE

You should receive an email that provides a one-time passcode each time you login to RedCrest-Search. If you have not received the email, please check your spam or junk folder. You can also request a new one-time passcode email through RedCrest-Search. Please wait a short period before requesting a new passcode in case there is a delay in receiving the email.

I CAN'T REMEMBER MY USERNAME

Your username is the email address you used to register.

I CAN'T REMEMBER MY PASSWORD

You can reset your password from the RedCrest-Search login screen. Your password is case sensitive.

WHAT IS A LITIGATION SEARCH?

A Litigation Search is a name search of the Supreme Court of Victoria database of proceedings which will return results for proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria’s civil and probate jurisdictions.

Litigation search results do not include any criminal proceedings or civil proceedings that are confidential.

WHAT NAMES CAN I SEARCH FOR?

You can search for an individual by their surname, first name and middle name. It is mandatory to include at least three characters in the surname field if searching by surname only. You can also search for a company by name or by ABN/ACN.

ARE THERE ANY LIMITS ON WHAT I CAN SEARCH FOR?

Yes. Searches that are too broad and are predicted to return over 10,000 results are not able to be processed. If this occurs you will be asked to refine your search.

Some ways to refine your search are to select an ‘Exact’ search instead of a ‘Contains’ search, or limit the timeframe for your search by changing the date in the ‘Proceedings Filed After’ field.

HOW DO I FILE A LITIGATION SEARCH?

Once you have created a RedCrest-Search account, log in and select the ‘Litigation Search Request’ button.

You will be asked questions to confirm your details and fee category. Next you will be able to input the requested name/s you would like to search the Court database for. After this you will navigate to a page to make payment. You will be emailed once your completed searches are ready to be downloaded.

You can also view the video at the top of this page to see a demonstration of the process.

CAN I SUBMIT MULTIPLE NAME SEARCHES AT ONCE?

Yes. You can conduct a search for up to 30 names in one litigation search. A fee will apply per name searched and this will be calculated and payable on RedCrest-Search.

WILL ALL PROCEEDINGS COMMENCED AT THE COURT DISPLAY IN THE RESULTS?

No. Litigation search results do not include any criminal proceedings or civil proceedings that are confidential.

WHAT DATES CAN I SEARCH FOR?

The search defaults to search proceedings filed since 1 July 2018, however, RedCrest-Search allows you to change the dates for your search depending on your needs. This would enable you to look at historical proceedings (commenced on or after 1 January 1990) or to only show very recent proceedings.

WILL I GET MY RESULTS STRAIGHT AWAY?

No. Litigation searches will commence processing after 6:00pm on the day the request has been submitted and will be completed overnight. You will be advised by email when the searches are available to download.

HOW DO I ACCESS MY LITIGATION SEARCH RESULTS?

You can access your completed searches on the ‘My Litigation Searches’ page. Click on the litigation search and you will have the option to download the litigation search results for each name you have searched. You must download your search results within 30 days of submitting your search. If the results are not downloaded within that timeframe, you will need to complete and pay for another litigation search.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF MY LITIGATION SEARCH RESULTS SAYS ‘NO RESULTS FOUND’?

If you see the words ‘No results found’ in the litigation search report you download, this generally indicates there are no civil or probate proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria involving the searched name. Results may not display if there are certain restrictions on the publication of names or Court proceedings.

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO DOWNLOAD MY LITIGATION SEARCH RESULTS?

Litigation search results will remain available for download for 30 days after the date you submitted your search. Please ensure you have downloaded your search results within this timeframe. If the results are not downloaded within that timeframe, you will need to complete and pay for another litigation search.

THE LITIGATION SEARCH RESULTS HAVE A PROCEEDING I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. HOW DO I SEARCH THE COURT FILE?

You can lodge a Court file search request on RedCrest-Search. Once you have logged in, select the ‘Court File Search Request’ option. There will be a separate fee to search the Court file.

WHAT IS A COURT FILE SEARCH REQUEST?

A request to view documents from the Court file of a Supreme Court of Victoria proceeding.

HOW DO I FILE A COURT FILE SEARCH REQUEST?

Once you have created a RedCrest-Search account, log in and select the ‘Court file search request’ option.

You will need to enter the proceeding number of the file you are seeking to search and then answer some questions to confirm your details and fee category. Follow the instructions in the online form to make payment and submit your request.

HOW DO I FIND THE PROCEEDING NUMBER AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

If you are requesting to search a civil proceeding and do not know the proceeding number, you may first need to conduct a litigation search.

If you have access to any documents filed in the proceeding, the number is located in the top-right corner, beginning with an S. The proceeding number also appears in the daily hearing list under the case number column.  Some examples of how proceeding numbers can appear include: S ECI 2024 0000, S EAPCI 2023 0000, S CI 2018 0000 and S ECR 2021 0000.  

I AM WANTING TO SEARCH A CRIMINAL FILE BUT I DO NOT KNOW THE PROCEEDING NUMBER, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

You may be able to locate the proceeding number by searching past daily court lists on the Supreme Court website and published judgments which can be accessed for free via websites such as AustLii or BarNet Jade. If unsuccessful, email the criminal registry on criminaldivision@supcourt.vic.gov.au  and include the information that you know about the case eg. the accused name, date of birth, charges, judge, year of trial, alleged victim's name and the outcome.

WHAT COURT FILES ARE AVAILABLE TO SEARCH ON REDCREST-SEARCH?

You can submit a request to search for any proceeding in the Trial Division or Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria. You cannot search Probate Office applications, as this must be done via RedCrest-Probate.

CAN I USE REDCREST-SEARCH TO SUBMIT MY REQUEST IF THE FILE IS AN OLD FILE?

Yes. All requests to search Court files must be submitted via RedCrest-Search. If the Court file is a paper file it may not be possible to view the documents online. You will be contacted by Registry if you need to attend the Registry to view documents on the file.

DO I NEED TO PROVIDE REASONS FOR WANTING TO SEARCH A COURT FILE?

Yes. You will need to provide a reason each time you request to search a Court file. If you are only wanting specific documents from a file (eg. all of the orders made) you should also specify this when requesting your search.

DO I NEED TO SPECIFY WHAT DOCUMENTS I WANT ACCESS TO?

Maybe. If you are requesting to search a criminal Court file you will need leave of the Court to search the file. A judicial officer will not be able to properly consider your request if you have not specified what documents you are requesting access to. Your request may be rejected if you have not provided enough information.

For other Court file access requests, providing specifics of the documents you wish to search may make it faster for the Court to undertake the search.

WILL I AUTOMATICALLY GET ACCESS TO THE COURT FILE ONCE I SUBMIT MY REQUEST?

No. All requests to search are reviewed by the registry prior to being given access.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY REQUEST HAS BEEN SUBMITTED?

When you submit your request to search you will receive an email confirmation at your registered email address. You will also be able to see the request under the ‘Submitted Requests’ heading on ‘My File Searches’.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY REQUEST TO BE ASSESSED?

Unfortunately it’s not possible to predict the time it will take for your request to be assessed – the timing is impacted by a variety of factors, including the type and size of Court file search being requested, what documents are being requested and whether the Court file is a digital or paper file.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY REQUEST HAS BEEN APPROVED OR REJECTED?

After your request to search has been reviewed, you will receive an email advising whether your request has been approved or rejected. If your request has been rejected, the reason(s) why will be included in the email.

IF MY REQUEST IS APPROVED, HOW DO I VIEW COPIES OF THE DOCUMENTS ON THE COURT FILE?

Once your request has been approved, log onto RedCrest-Search and navigate to ‘My File Searches’. You will be able to see the request under the ‘Approved Requests’ heading. To view the documents click on the application details. You will be able to download individual documents or all available documents. If the Court file is a paper file the registry may contact you to make alternative arrangements to view copies of the documents.

ARE THERE ANY DOCUMENTS I WON’T HAVE ACCESS TO?

Maybe. Pursuant to the Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2015 a person not a party to the proceeding is not able to inspect or obtain copies of certain documents in civil proceedings (eg. affidavits, witness statements) without leave of the Court unless the document has been read or relied upon. Pursuant to the Supreme Court (Criminal Procedure) Rules 2017 documents filed in criminal proceedings are not open for inspection unless the Court directs. Documents will also be unavailable if an order has been made to keep that document confidential.

HOW LONG WILL I HAVE ACCESS TO THE DOCUMENTS?

Once your request has been approved you will have 30 days from the date of approval to download copies of the documents that have been made available. Please ensure you have downloaded the documents within this timeframe. If you do not download documents in this timeframe, you will need to complete and pay for another Court file search request.

IF FURTHER DOCUMENTS ARE FILED AFTER MY REQUEST HAS BEEN APPROVED, WILL I HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS?

No. The documents provided will be the documents that are available to search at the time the request has been approved. If a further document is filed, or a previously filed document is subsequently read or relied upon at a hearing, you will not have access to that document. If you want to check if any further documents are available to search you will need to submit and pay for another request.

HOW LIKELY IS IT MY REQUEST WILL BE APPROVED?

This depends on the type of Court file you are requesting to search, whether you have provided sufficient information about why you are requesting to search the file, and in some instances whether leave of the Court is granted. Under the Rules of the Court documents filed in civil proceedings are open for inspection (except for certain documents) and documents filed in criminal proceedings are not open for inspection unless the Court otherwise directs.

I SAW SOMETHING ON THE NEWS ABOUT A MURDER TRIAL. AM I ABLE TO VIEW THE DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE TRIAL?

Not necessarily. Pursuant to the Supreme Court (Criminal Procedure) Rules 2017 documents filed in criminal proceedings are not open for inspection unless the Court directs. You must have good reasons for requesting the search. Being interested in seeing the documents that have been filed is unlikely to be a sufficient reason for leave to be granted by the Court.

I SAW SOMETHING ON THE NEWS ABOUT A CRIMINAL APPEAL. AM I ABLE TO VIEW THE DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE APPEAL?

Not necessarily. Pursuant to the Supreme Court (Criminal Procedure) Rules 2017 documents filed in criminal proceedings are not open for inspection unless the Court directs. This includes documents filed in Court of Appeal proceedings. You must have good reasons for requesting the search. Being interested in seeing the documents that have been filed is unlikely to be a sufficient reason for leave to be granted by the Court.

I AM A JOURNALIST. CAN I USE REDCREST-SEARCH TO REQUEST ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS?

Yes. All requests to search Court files should be submitted on RedCrest-Search. You will be able to indicate you are a journalist as part of the request process.

IS THERE A FEE FOR CONDUCTING A LITIGATION SEARCH?

Yes. A fee is payable per name searched for litigation searches.

IS THERE A FEE FOR SEARCHING A COURT FILE?

Yes. A fee is payable per Court file searched.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER FEES PAYABLE?

There may be an additional fee payable if you are requesting to search a Court file that has been archived in an offsite location. You will be contacted by registry if a file retrieval fee is payable. This fee will not be payable if the file you are searching has an E in the proceeding number.

WHAT ARE THE FEES THAT ARE PAYABLE?

This will depend on the fee category that applies. RedCrest-Search will ask you questions when you lodge a search request to determine what fees will apply to your request. Please note, that if you are applying for a concession fee or a waiver of court fees, you will be required to upload supporting documentation.

You can find out more information about fee categories on the Court Fees page of the Supreme Court of Victoria website. See item 6.3 of the Prothonotary's fees for the relevant fee.

WHAT KIND OF PAYMENT TYPES ARE ACCEPTED?

You will need to pay using a credit card online. RedCrest-Search accepts payments via Visa, Mastercard and American Express card types.

DOES IT COST EXTRA TO PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD?

No. Additional fees are not charged for paying via credit card. The fee charged will be the fee prescribed by the Supreme Court (Fees) Regulations 2018.

REDCREST-SEARCH WILL NOT ACCEPT MY PAYMENT, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

You should contact your bank/card provider to ascertain why the transaction cannot be processed.

CAN I USE REDCREST-SEARCH TO VIEW SUBPOENAED DOCUMENTS?

No. Please see the Supreme Court of Victoria website for information on inspecting subpoenaed documents.

CAN I USE REDCREST-SEARCH TO SEARCH DIVORCE RECORDS?

No. The Supreme Court of Victoria only has information regarding divorce records prior to 1976. More information is available on the Supreme Court of Victoria website about making an application for divorce information.

CAN I USE REDCREST-SEARCH TO OBTAIN A TRANSCRIPT OF A HEARING?

No. You will need to place an order for transcript with the relevant transcript service provider depending on the Court division.

CAN I USE REDCREST-SEARCH TO VIEW A JUDGMENT?

Maybe. A copy of a judgment may be available to search on the Court file. However, most judgments are also available to view free of charge on the Law Library of Victoria website.

If you require procedural support, please contact the relevant area of the Supreme Court Registry during business hours. For technical support email redcrest@supcourt.vic.gov.au