The Utah Supreme Court is rolling out one-page summaries of its decisions to improve public access and understanding. Starting from 2025, these concise summaries provide an overview of each case in plain language, highlighting the main legal question, the Court's decision, and the reasoning behind it. The initiative is aimed at aiding litigants, journalists, students, and the general public to better grasp the Court's rulings without needing extensive legal knowledge.
Chief Justice Matthew Durrant explained, "These summaries are part of our broader efforts to promote transparency and public understanding of the judicial process. They offer a helpful entry point into the Court’s work, especially for those who may not regularly read legal opinions."
While the summaries are made available, they are not intended to replace the full opinions. For those seeking a thorough understanding of a case, the full opinions can be accessed on the Utah appellate courts’ website alongside the summaries. The Court advises media sources to refer to the complete opinions when quoting.
This project demonstrates the Court's commitment to enhancing public access to the judicial system through clarity, outreach, and innovation.
For further details and to view the summaries, visit the Utah Supreme Court's opinions page at https://legacy.utcourts.gov/opinions/.