Use of AI transcription in courts to be studied

The potential of using AI transcription software in courts is to be studied in an endeavour to deliver faster and cheaper access to court records for victims.

The research, which will be led by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), will examine whether the Ministry of Justice’s in-house AI, Justice Transcribe, could meet accuracy standards while reducing times and costs.

This comes as many victims have been required to pay hundreds and in some cases thousands of pounds to view records of their case.

Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC, said that the tool had the potential to “boost transparency and access to justice”, creating a system that victims could “rely on”.

She said: “Victims show immense courage in coming to court, delivering their testimonies and looking their perpetrators in the eye.

“That’s why it is only right they process what happened in their case in their own time and on their own terms.”

While transcriptions of Crown Court hearings are currently produced by contracted providers, the study’s findings will inform plans to modernise and increase accessibility within the justice system on a nationwide scale.

This drive for increased accessibility also saw the government recently unveil plans to allow victims to have a free copy of judges’ sentencing remarks upon request from Spring 2027.

Charlotte Schreurs, survivor and founder of the Open Justice For All campaign said she “welcome[d] AI being deployed in court rooms”.

She said: “Court transcripts are imperative for victims in the healing process - to understand what was said and to be able to move on, but it also brings accountability and transparency of the courts.”

This announcement coincides with the progression through parliament of the Victims and Courts Bill and the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which seek to improve victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system and reduce the Crown Court’s caseload.