Our world of work is evolving – and so is the way we access justice. On 28 March 2025, two important directives were issued: Directive 01 of 2025: Implementation of Court Online Electronic Platform in the Labour Court and Directive 01 of 2025: Implementation of Court Online Electronic Platform in the Labour Appeal Court. Together, these directives introduce the next phase of the Court Online digital case management platform into South Africa's Labour Courts.
Already used in the High Courts, Court Online is a web-based portal designed to streamline the litigation process – from registration to filing and beyond. Following the successful rollout of phase one, which allowed only urgent applications in the Labour Court to be initiated online, phase two marks a major shift: from 14 April 2025, all applications in the Labour Court and all appeals in the Labour Appeal Court must now be initiated via Court Online.
It's important to note that the core Rules of Court remain unchanged. Instead, these directives provide practical guidance for engaging with the new system – offering clarity on how to register, upload documents, and manage matters on Court Online and Caselines.
For foreign nationals or unrepresented litigants without a South African ID number, assistance with registration is available via the Court Online Support Helpdesk. However, no additional special allowances are made for parties acting without legal representation.
Labour Court: Key Features of Directive 01 of 2025
All applications must now be filed electronically in accordance with Rule 7 of the Labour Court Rules. Practitioners must upload a signed statement of claim or notice of motion onto the Court Online Portal, and further documents – such as founding and answering affidavits – must be uploaded in PDF format once the case is issued.
Legal representatives are responsible for inviting all other parties and relevant court officials to the online case. In review applications, arbitration records must be submitted via a cloud-based service and uploaded to the portal.
Urgent applications must also be initiated online and clearly marked as "urgent". Practitioners must request a provisional enrolment date from the Registrar before filing such matters, including applications to enforce restraint of trade.
For non-urgent matters, once a case is ready to proceed to hearing, a notice of request for an enrolment date must be submitted via Court Online, with the relevant document type selected. Notification must also be sent to the Registrar by email.
Caselines plays a central role in case presentation. Practitioners must compile an electronic bundle using prescribed templates, with file sections including Pleadings, Notices, and Discovery, where applicable.
To request a trial date, a certificate of trial readiness must be submitted to the Registrar, confirming compliance with all procedural requirements, the absence of interlocutory applications, and the correct upload of all documents.
Return dates issued by the Presiding Judge must be confirmed on Caselines. Failure to finalise a provisional enrolment will result in forfeiture of the return date, with no exceptions outside the processes prescribed by the Directive.
Once compliance is achieved, a formal request for enrolment must be uploaded, aligned with the Registrar's Provisional Roll, and the set-down office must be invited to the case.
Orders, judgments, and outcomes will be made available via Court Online under "My Case Documents." Once the hearing has concluded, taxation becomes available, and all Bills of Costs and Notices of Intention to Tax must be uploaded.
Labour Appeal Court: Key Features of Directive 01 of 2025
The Labour Appeal Court will follow a similar digital-first approach. All petitions and appeals must be filed exclusively via Court Online, in accordance with the Labour Appeal Court Rules.
All supporting documents – such as notices, records of appeal, proof of service, heads of argument, and practice notes – must be timeously uploaded and served on all relevant parties, in strict compliance with applicable rules and deadlines.
A Call to Prepare and Comply
These Directives mark the start of a new digital chapter for litigation in the Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court. While the legal Rules themselves remain unchanged, the practical shift to digital means that all practitioners must now familiarise themselves with the Court Online Portal and Caselines system.
Strict compliance is not optional. Failure to follow the prescribed processes may result in matters being removed from the roll or, in more serious cases, the imposition of punitive costs orders.
Legal practitioners are encouraged to review the directives in full, ensure they are fully registered and trained on the new systems, and embrace the digital transformation now underway.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
