Court Online Training

Six lessons · about 70 minutes total

Each lesson covers a real task you will perform on Court Online, with the exact clicks, naming conventions and pitfalls to avoid.

1. 1. Registering as a Court Online user

   ~10 min

   Create your OCJ Court Online profile, link your law-firm details, capture your practitioner certificate (or student/candidate-attorney status) and verify your email.

   Step-by-step

   1. 1Go to courtonline.judiciary.org.za and click Register.
   2. 2Choose your role: Legal Practitioner, Candidate Attorney, State Attorney, or Litigant in Person.
   3. 3Capture your ID/passport, practice number (LPC), firm details and contact information.
   4. 4Upload supporting documents (certificate of enrolment, FICA, proof of address) where required.
   5. 5Verify the activation email and set a strong password with 2FA.

   Practical tips

   • Use your firm email address, not Gmail — uploads are linked to that domain in audit logs.
   • Keep your LPC practice number handy; the system validates it against the LPC register.

2. 2. Initiating a new case

   ~12 min

   Open a new matter under the correct Division (Gauteng, Western Cape, etc.), select case type (motion, action, urgent, opposed/unopposed) and capture parties.

   Step-by-step

   1. 1Click New Case > select Division and Court (e.g. Gauteng Division, Pretoria).
   2. 2Pick Case Type: Action, Application, Motion, Urgent, Interlocutory, Appeal or Review.
   3. 3Add Plaintiff/Applicant and Defendant/Respondent — each with full citation and address for service.
   4. 4Capture the legal representatives for each party (your firm by default for the initiating side).
   5. 5Save Draft → the system issues a draft case number; only on payment of the filing fee does it become a live case number.

   Practical tips

   • Spell party names exactly as they appear on the summons/notice of motion — mismatches block service.
   • Use the urgent toggle ONLY when you actually have a certificate of urgency; misuse is flagged.

3. 3. Uploading & indexing documents (CaseLines)

   ~15 min

   Court Online uses CaseLines for the digital case file. Every pleading, affidavit, annexure and notice must be uploaded as a properly named, OCR-searchable PDF and placed in the right bundle section.

   Step-by-step

   1. 1Convert each document to PDF/A, OCR it, and confirm file size is under 50 MB per document.
   2. 2Name files using the convention: PartyRole_DocType_Date.pdf (e.g. Applicant_FoundingAffidavit_2026-03-12.pdf).
   3. 3Open the matter > CaseLines > Upload > drag files into the correct section (Pleadings, Notices, Affidavits, Annexures, Heads of Argument, Bundle of Authorities).
   4. 4Re-order pages and split/merge where needed; CaseLines auto-numbers every page (e.g. 003-12).
   5. 5Click Index & Paginate to lock the bundle for the next step.

   Practical tips

   • Never upload scanned image-only PDFs — judges cannot search them. OCR is non-negotiable.
   • Annexures go INSIDE the affidavit PDF, not as separate files (unless > 50 MB).

4. 4. E-filing, payment of fees & service

   ~10 min

   Submit the indexed bundle for filing, pay the court fee electronically, and effect service on the other side through Court Online's service module.

   Step-by-step

   1. 1From the case dashboard click File Documents > select the documents to file.
   2. 2Pay the filing fee via EFT or card — Court Online generates a sheriff/court receipt automatically.
   3. 3Use Service > Add Recipients to serve opposing attorneys; the system records date, time and IP of delivery.
   4. 4Download the stamped, court-issued copy (with case number and filing date) for your own records.
   5. 5If serving a self-represented respondent, you still need the sheriff — Court Online lets you generate the sheriff instruction.

   Practical tips

   • Always download the stamped copy immediately; the court's clock for opposition starts from the stamp date.
   • Keep proof of payment together with the stamped pleading in your physical/electronic file.

5. 5. CaseLines navigation for hearings

   ~12 min

   At the hearing, judges and parties navigate the bundle by page reference (e.g. 003-17). You must be fluent in jumping, highlighting and presenting documents live.

   Step-by-step

   1. 1Open CaseLines > Review Bundle on your laptop and a second screen if available.
   2. 2Use the Go To Page box (top right) to jump to any section-page reference instantly.
   3. 3Highlight key paragraphs in advance using the Notes feature — these are private to your team unless shared.
   4. 4Use Present mode in virtual hearings to share a focused view with the judge and opposing counsel.
   5. 5Bookmark your heads of argument paragraph references for one-click navigation during oral argument.

   Practical tips

   • Practice jumping to 5–6 references in under 30 seconds — judges expect speed.
   • If the judge says 'take me to 008-23', repeat the reference out loud before jumping; it confirms you heard correctly.

6. 6. Virtual hearings & post-judgment steps

   ~10 min

   Most opposed and unopposed motions now run on MS Teams via Court Online. Learn how to join, present, get the order uploaded, and apply for leave to appeal digitally.

   Step-by-step

   1. 1Check the daily roll on Court Online the day before — the Teams link is on the matter page.
   2. 2Join 10 minutes early in business attire; mute on entry; rename yourself: Surname (Applicant/Respondent).
   3. 3Use Present + CaseLines side-by-side; never share your full desktop (it leaks notifications).
   4. 4After judgment, the registrar uploads the signed order — download it immediately for service.
   5. 5Applications for leave to appeal, taxation and rescission all run through the same Court Online matter.

   Practical tips

   • Test your microphone, webcam and Teams link the day before — judges do not wait for tech issues.
   • Save the signed order to your matter folder AND email it to your client within an hour.