sealing of records

sealing of records n. trial records and decisions which a judge orders kept secret. Usually these are the criminal records of under-age offenders which cannot be examined without a special court order, or are limited to those connected with law enforcement. On occasion records in civil trials are sealed on the motion of a party claiming the need to protect inventions, business secrets, or national security. Sometimes sealing is stipulated as part of a settlement to keep the terms from public scrutiny.