Illinois Supreme Court Announces Policy on Transparency

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today the release of a Policy on Transparency in the courts, a vital step toward providing the public with more of the essential data and information from the judicial branch.

“Transparency means making data, budgets, and financial reports accessible to the public. It is the judiciary’s strongest bridge to public trust and to the restoration of confidence in our courts,” Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. said. “The Supreme Court appreciates the work of everyone who helped create this policy and looks forward to its implementation.”

By July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) will publish data from Circuit Clerk Offices, Court Services/Probation, Juvenile Detention Center(s) (JDC), the Supreme and Appellate Courts, and the Illinois Office of Statewide Pretrial Services (OSPS).

On or before July 31, 2026, and annually thereafter, the AOIC will publish the Judicial Branch Budget, and will also identify the number of Judicial Branch full-time employees and organizational charts.

The full policy, including the specific categories of data which will be released by July 1, can be found here.

The Illinois Supreme Court remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency. The AOIC and OSPS will review this policy annually and advise the Court as to whether and when additional categories of data and information should be made public.

In addition to the forthcoming data, data from the Illinois Courts currently available online include the Circuit Court Statistical Dashboard, Data & Metrics Pretrial Dashboards from OSPS, and yearly statistical summaries from the Illinois Courts Annual Report.

The Policy on Transparency emerged from recommendations by the Illinois Judicial Conference’s (IJC) Public Requests for Information Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force was created in 2024 and charged with developing recommendations to improve judicial branch transparency.

The IJC is the body charged with strategic planning for the Illinois Judicial Branch and is comprised of 29 voting members: 15 judges and 14 non-judges, with the Chief Justice serving as Chair. The Judicial Branch’s 2026-2028 Strategic Agenda is available here.

(FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: James Brunner, Public Information Officer of the Illinois Supreme Court at 217.208.3354 or jbrunner@illinoiscourts.gov).