Content model for courts #
This page is for website creators and project managers who design the classes of a court or tribunal site. The
classes and datatypes named exist in Exponential (sevenx_classes,
kernel/classes/datatypes/); the class editor is in Content classes for websites.
Contents #
- Shipped classes that fit
- Class to add: Decision
- Publication status as an object state
- Class to add: Court location
- Class to add: Guide
- Rules for court content
Shipped classes that fit #
| Class | Identifier | Use |
|---|
| Folder | folder | guidance areas, decision collections by year or area of law |
| Article | article | news, explanations |
| File | file | forms, rules, practice directions, annual reports |
| Documentation page | documentation_page | multi-chapter guidance |
| Link | link | e-filing systems, legal aid services |
| Feedback form | feedback_form | general enquiries (never case documents) |
Class to add: Decision #
| Attribute | Identifier | Datatype | Why |
|---|
| Title | title | Text line (ezstring) | the case name as the rules allow it to be published (often initials or a neutral name) |
| Case number | case_number | Text line | the citable reference |
| Court or chamber | chamber | Selection (ezselection) | |
| Date of decision | decision_date | Date (ezdate) | |
| Area of law | area | Tags (eztags) | |
| Summary | summary | XML block (ezxmltext) | a short headnote, also anonymized |
| Decision text | document | File (ezbinaryfile) | the anonymized document |
| Publish until | hide_date | Date and time (ezdatetime) | only where rules limit the publication period; used by hide.php |
Keep no unanonymized text in any attribute: summaries and titles carry personal data as easily as the document.
Publication status as an object state #
A state group decision_status with Under review, Published, Corrected, Withdrawn:
| Use | How |
|---|
| Show the status on the page | templates read the state |
| Limit who may withdraw | state/assign with NewState = Withdrawn for the publishing lead only |
| Keep reviewers' rights to content under review | content/read limited by StateGroup_decision_status |
Setting a state makes no new version and changes no text (Object states).
Class to add: Court location #
| Attribute | Identifier | Datatype |
|---|
| Name | name | Text line |
| Address | address | Text block (eztext) |
| Opening hours | opening_hours | XML block |
| Getting there and accessibility | access | XML block (step-free access, hearing loops, quiet rooms) |
| Security screening | security | XML block (what may be brought in) |
| Contact | contact | XML block (a registry mailbox and phone) |
Class to add: Guide #
| Attribute | Identifier | Datatype | Why |
|---|
| Title | title | Text line | "Responding to a claim" |
| In short | summary | Text block | three to five sentences in plain language |
| Steps | body | XML block | numbered steps with headings |
| Forms | forms | Object relations (ezobjectrelationlist) | File objects |
| Applies from | effective_from | Date | when rules change |
| Next review | review_date | Date | |
Rules for court content #
| Rule | Reason |
|---|
| Decisions in their own class and section | separate permissions and review |
| One object per decision, never edited for content after publication except to correct, with a note | the published text is the court's text |
| Search-indexed attributes chosen with care | the search index holds what is searchable; mark only the summary and metadata searchable if documents must not be indexed |
| Forms as files, guidance as HTML | guidance must be readable without a download |
Related pages #
Become an Exponential Partner
Partners share their information, provide funding, contribute back and
develop the products with us, and that is how Exponential grows. A partner website and dashboard are planned for
mid-2027: please become a partner today to speed up our growth rate and land new features faster.