The County Court of Victoria has announced the implementation of the first stage of the new electronic subpoena submission and inspection portal called ‘eCase’. The portal is being implemented in stages. The first stage will only include civil subpoenas. eCase Stage 2 will include criminal/appeal subpoenas and is currently scheduled to be implemented in late 2020.

What does eCase do?

eCase allows subpoenaed addressees to respond to a subpoena, and lodge and withdraw objections. Parties are able to request to inspect subpoenaed material, lodge and withdraw objections, and view and download subpoenaed material. 

What are the benefits for parties?

Parties are able to inspect subpoenaed material directly through the portal which removes the need for in-person inspection appointments at the Court's registry. Material can also be accessed remotely and outside of Court operating hours. 

How do I access eCase?

You will be able to access eCase via a web portal. You will first need to register. Law firms are encouraged by the Court to create “an organisation” in eCase. Once the organisation is approved by the Court, any person registering with an email address with the same email domain (e.g. @company_name) will automatically be approved. Further, the organisation may be managed by the firm’s administration user, enabling them to deactivate users within their firm as required. Once registered, you will be able to follow the guided on screen prompts to complete your required actions.

Click here to register on eCase. A practice note is available on the Court’s website.