The books of reports of decisions of the supreme court, and other courts of the United States, of this state, and of the several states and the territories thereof, purporting to be published by authority, may be read as evidence of the decisions of such courts.
8-1106.Reports of courts.
Article VIII. Evidence · Part 11. Statutes and Reports · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentencePublished volumes of court decisions from the Illinois Supreme Court and other federal, state, and territorial courts may be read as evidence of those decisions if the volume purports to be published by authority.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/8-1106
Plain-English Summary
This section parallels the statute-book provisions in Sections 8-1101 and 8-1104, but applies to published reports of court decisions rather than statutes.
It covers books of reports of decisions from the Illinois Supreme Court and other courts of the United States, of Illinois, and of the several states and territories, so long as the report volume purports to be published by authority.
A qualifying report volume may be read as evidence of the decisions it contains, letting a party prove what a court decided directly from an official reporter without separately certifying the ruling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of publications does this section address?
Books of reports of decisions of courts.
Which courts' decisions are covered?
The Supreme Court and other courts of the United States, of Illinois, and of the several states and territories.
What condition must the report volume meet?
It must purport to be published by authority.
What can a party do with a qualifying report volume?
Read it as evidence of the decisions it contains.
Does this section require a certified copy of the decision?
No. The printed report volume itself may be read as evidence if it meets the authority requirement.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: illinois evidence of court decisionspublished court reports evidence illinoisproving case law with published reportsreports of decisions as evidence illinois