Decisions

Where to get a copy of a judgment

Copies of judgments can be obtained from the following sources:

Online judgments 

NSW Caselaw (Judge decisions 1999 to present and commissioner decisions September 2003 to present)

Australian Legal Information Institute (AUSTLII): (Judge decisions 1988 to present and commissioner decisions September 2003 to present).

Hard copy judgments

The Land and Environment Court library has limited copies of older, unreported judgments of judges of the Court that may not be available from online sources. You may contact library services by phone on 9230 8232 or email to libraryservices@justice.nsw.gov.au to determine if the decision that you require is available. You will need to know the case title and the name of the judge who gave the judgment. A charge will apply for the delivery of the judgment to you at the library rates.

If you wish to obtain an older judgment from the Court file and the judgment is not available through the Land and Environment Court library (for example, commissioners' decisions), contact the court’s registry with the case number and proceedings title. A charge will apply for the provision of the judgment, and an additional charge may be levied if retrieval from an external storage facility is required. Consult the Schedule of Court Fees to determine the current fees involved.

Other sources of judgments

Local Government and Environmental Reports of Australia (LGERA)

Full text of selected judgments, with cumulative case and subjective index. Published by Law Book Company, online or volume subscription for a fee. Hard copies available in libraries of major metropolitan universities.

New South Wales Law Reports (NSWLR)

Authorised series of judgments from the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and some from the Land and Environment Court. Full text of selected judgments, with cumulative case and subjective index. Published by Law Book Company, online or volume subscription for a fee. Hard copies available in libraries of major metropolitan universities.

Australian Planning Appeal Decisions

A discontinued report series originally published by the Law Book Company. Full text of decisions delivered 1980–1992, with consolidated index. Hard copies might be available in libraries of major metropolitan universities.

Local Government Appeals Tribunal Reports of NSW

A discontinued report series originally published by the Law Book Company. Full text of decisions delivered 1972–1980, with consolidated index. Hard copies might be available in libraries of major metropolitan universities.

Environmental Law Reporter

Summaries of selected decisions by commissioners and judges delivered 1983 to the present, with consolidated index. Published by the Environmental and Planning Law Association — subscription for a fee. Hard copies are available in libraries of major metropolitan universities and can also be viewed upon request at the registry office of the Court.

Subscription services

The Thomson Reuters and Lexisnexis provides a subscription service, at a fee, to various loose leaf and case note services which provide summaries of decisions made by commissioners and judges of the Land and Environment Court. These include Environmental Responsibilities Law NSW, Land and Environment Court: Law & Practice, New South Wales, Planning and Development Service and Local Government Planning and Environment NSW. Hard copies might be available in libraries of major metropolitan universities.

Judicial Newsletters

The Land and Environment Court publishes electronic Judicial Newsletters providing summaries of decisions of judges and commissioners of the Court, as well as significant judicial decisions of other courts in New South Wales, other states of Australia and overseas. The electronic version of the newsletter includes links in the text to enable direct access to the decisions, legislation and documents referred to in the text.