Full Court Minute Books

Filing documents

open_registerRules of Court

The above is a link to the Federal Register of Legislation website with access to the current consolidated Rules.

Information for filing

Registry Services & Support

For Registry services and support please contact us by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Face to face services are no longer provided at the Registry Counter.

Documents for cases should be lodged through the HCA DLS Portal, more information on the DLS Portal is available here: https://www.hcourt.gov.au/digital-lodgment-system/digital-lodgment-system-information

The office hours of the Registry shall be from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm. Documents must be lodged by 4.00 pm Monday to Friday to be filed on that day, any act done after 4.00 pm on a day shall be taken to have been done on the next day on which the Registry is open.

The Court issued Practice Direction No. 1 of 2020 Electronic Filing of Documents - Cases Commenced before 1 January 2020 on 20 March 2020.

Holiday Closure 2023-2024

The High Court Registry will be closed from 4.00pm on Friday, 22 December 2023 and will re-open on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.

Any party seeking to file a document due to be filed between 23 December 2023 and 1 January 2024 has an automatic extension of time under the High Court Rules 2004 (Rule 4.01.5) until 4:00pm on Tuesday, 2 January 2024 to file the document. Any documents lodged between 23 December 2023 and 1 January 2024 will be reviewed on 2 January 2024.

All inquiries for the High Court will be considered when the Registry re-opens on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.  If a matter is of extreme urgency, such as imminent deportation, you may telephone 02 9230 8000.

HCA Video Connection Hearings - PROTOCOL

Protocol for HCA Video Connection Hearings (PDF 34k) (RTF 124k)

Digital Lodgment System Portal

In 2020 the High Court of Australia moved from a paper-based Court to one that provides for the electronic lodgment of Court documents.

The Digital Lodgment System Portal (DLS Portal) is an external facing portal that allows legal firms, legal practitioners and self-represented litigants to register, file documents, receive notifications and track the progress of their cases around the clock.

The system provides for mandatory electronic lodgment of all documents filed in any case commenced after 1 January 2020.  Register with a simple 3 step process of email verification, registration and approval by the Registry dls.hcourt.gov.au.

Further information about filing in the DLS Portal is available here.