The system will allow crime victims in the UK to obtain no-cost criminal court transcripts
His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service is set to trial its in-house developed AI transcription system, Justice Transcribe, in UK Crown court proceedings.
The system is expected to enable victims of crime in the UK to obtain transcript at no cost, saving them the expense of sourcing commercial services, according to the justice ministry. Courts and legal services minister Sarah Sackman said in a statement that using AI in this capacity would improve transparency and access to justice, “building a modernised system that victims can rely on.”
“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,” Sackman said.
Open Justice For All campaign founder Charlotte Schreurs applauded the move.
“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,” Schreurs said in a statement. “Having long called for transcripts to be made easily and freely accessible for victims through my Open Justice For All campaign - I welcome AI being deployed in court rooms to make this happen.”
The justice ministry indicated that the trial would determine the speed at which AI could produce transcripts and calculate cost savings. The UK government had advised victims in Crown court cases that they could request for free transcripts of judges’ sentencing remarks starting from spring 2027.
At present, contracted providers generate Crown court proceeding transcripts. Per the Law Society Gazette, existing contracts are set for renewal next year.
Law Society of England and Wales vice president Brett Dixon welcomed the move, but warned that strong safeguards must be in place, such as retaining audio recordings to verify the accuracy of transcripts.
“If AI can be shown to operate fairly and without negative impact, it has the potential to reduce prohibitively high transcription costs and remove a barrier to a vital element of transparency in the justice system,” Dixon said in a statement published by the Gazette.
Last year, the justice ministry introduced Justice Transcribe for use in transcribing offender conversations.
