On Thursday, the Federal Chamber of Representatives approved the creation of a Central Register for the publication of judgments and rulings.
The text passed through parliament in unanimity, minus abstentions from Les Engagés and DéFI. The bill was sponsored by the Federal Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne, providing for the establishment of a register which will be implemented in two stages.
Initially, it will only contain final judgments in their entirety, which all lawyers, defendants, civil parties and experts will be able to consult digitally.
The Central Register will also contain rulings where parties involved remain anonymous. In this phase, it will be possible for courts and tribunals to no longer deliver their decisions in full.
If the interested parties believe that the data can nevertheless lead to identification, a request for adaptation will be possible.
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The law will come into force on 30 September 2023, with the start of the second phase is scheduled for 31 December 2023.
Furthermore, the register's database will be developed internally by FPS Justice. The anonymised status and judgement summaries will be developed by an external partner, the Federal Justice Ministry confirmed.
