HMCTS to pilot AI transcription service for court records

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is piloting a new AI transcription service in the Crown Court in an effort to reduce the cost of accessing court records.

Currently, transcripts of Crown Court proceedings are produced by contracted providers.

However, HMCTS' new study will explore how the Ministry of Justice’s in-house AI, Justice Transcribe, could meet required accuracy standards while reducing transcription time and costs.

HMCTS said the findings will inform nationwide plans to upgrade, modernise and open up the court system and increase access to justice in the digital age.

The study comes as the Government announced that victims whose cases are going through the Crown Court will have access to free transcripts of judges’ sentencing remarks, upon request, from Spring 2027.

According to the Government, costly court transcript fees have meant that victims have had to fork out hundreds – and in some cases thousands of pounds – to access exactly what was said in court to help provide answers and closure.

Commenting on the programme, the Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC, 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.

"By deploying AI in the courtroom, we can boost transparency and access to justice, building a modernised system that victims can rely on."

Adam Carey