PUBLIC ACCESS TO PROCEEDINGS AND RECORDS

(a) Record on Appeal. The record on appeal in each case, or any portion of the record on appeal, shall be available for inspection and copying by any person to the same extent as that record was available for inspection and copying in the trial court. (b) Law Court File. The file maintained by the Clerk of the Law Court for each appeal, other than files for appeals from child protection proceedings and other files made confidential by statute, shall be available for public inspection and copying, except that any documents or images that were 49 transmitted to the Law Court by the trial court under seal and any documents providing identifying information regarding parties, witnesses, or jurors shall be available for inspection and copying only to the same extent as in the trial court. (c) Briefs. The briefs filed with the Law Court, other than briefs in appeals from matters listed in subsection (d)(1)-(5) below, shall be available for inspection and copying by any person. (d) Appendices. The appendix shall be available for public inspection and copying, except that the appendix shall not be available for public inspection and copying in the following matters: (1) an appeal from a child protection proceeding; (2) proceedings involving an adoption or guardianship or a petition for adoption or guardianship; (3) juvenile proceedings in which the record is sealed in the trial court; (4) any proceeding in which the care, custody, and support of a minor child is an issue; and (5) any proceeding in which a document or information that is confidential, deemed nonpublic, or was filed under seal in the trial court by statute, court rule, administrative order, or trial court order, is contained in the appendix. Any brief or appendix filed in a matter listed in this subsection (1)-(5) shall automatically be labeled and filed as “under seal” or “confidential” unless the Chief Justice or other Justice designated to act for the Chief Justice pursuant to Rule 10(a)(4) orders otherwise. (e) Oral Arguments. Oral arguments on the merits of appeals are public proceedings. (f) Decisions. Opinions of the Law Court on appeals and decisions of single Justices of the Law Court are public documents.