EXPLANATORY REPORT 

AMENDMENTS TO THE 
CASE RECORDS PUBLIC ACCESS POLICY 
OF THE UNIFIED JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF PENNSYLVANIA 

On October 6, 2021, effective January 1, 2022, upon recommendation of the Administrative 
Office of Pennsylvania Courts, the Court amended Sections 7.0 and 9.0 of the Case Records Public 
Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania to require the statewide use of the 
Confidential Information Form.  The specific amendments are detailed below. 

Sections 7.0(A) and (C) have been amended to require filers to safeguard confidential 
information using a Confidential Information Form.  Prior to these amendments, an appellate or trial 
court could permit the filing of any document in two versions, a “Redacted Version” and “Unredacted 
Version” rather than require the use of the Confidential Information Form.  Now, all courts throughout 
the Commonwealth will utilize the same method to safeguard confidential information. 

New Section 9.0(H) provides that these amendments do not apply retroactively to documents filed 
with a court or custodian prior to the effective date of the amendments.  Specifically, an unredacted version 
of a document filed under prior versions of this Policy shall not be accessible to the public.  

mplementing a single, statewide approach for the treatment of confidential information 
throughout the courts of the Commonwealth will establish procedural uniformity and support the statewide 
practice of law by members of the bar.   

  I