HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has launched a study to assess whether the Ministry of Justice’s in‑house artificial intelligence tool, Justice Transcribe, can produce official court transcripts more quickly and at lower cost. The announcement, published on 14 April 2026, places transparency and support for victims at the centre of the project. (gov.uk)
Under current arrangements, authorised external providers create Crown Court transcripts under contract. HMCTS will test whether Justice Transcribe can meet required accuracy standards while shortening turnaround times and reducing fees, opening the door to faster access for victims and others with a legitimate need. (gov.uk)
Requesters must normally complete form EX107 and pay the provider’s fee, with service levels ranging from 24 hours to 12 working days. HMCTS guidance also highlights an average 10‑working‑day lead time for courts to locate and send audio, and sets out per‑folio pricing for civil, family and tribunal transcripts-factors that explain why costs can escalate for lengthy hearings. (gov.uk)
The Ministry notes that victims have in some cases faced bills running to hundreds or thousands of pounds to obtain an official record of what was said in court. Separately, ministers have committed to provide free transcripts of judges’ Crown Court sentencing remarks to all victims from Spring 2027, expanding beyond earlier limited schemes. (gov.uk)
The move lands as Parliament finalises related measures. The Victims and Courts Bill returns to the House of Lords on Wednesday 15 April for consideration of Commons amendments, with subjects including free court transcripts for victims and publication of sentencing remarks. The government’s Courts and Tribunals Bill, introduced on 25 February 2026, is also progressing in the Commons. (parliament.uk)
Justice Transcribe is not new to the system. Transparency data published on 24 February 2026 records over 150,000 probation meetings summarised between October 2025 and February 2026, with an illustrative estimate of around 25,000 staff hours saved. The Ministry’s Justice AI site says the tool is being expanded across probation and flags the potential for validated transcription and translation in courts and tribunals. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Safeguards will be central. HMCTS says any adoption depends on meeting accuracy thresholds, while existing rules continue to apply: transcripts must reflect reporting restrictions and, for private hearings, require judicial permission. Official guidance also requires transcripts to identify applicable restrictions on the title page. (gov.uk)
For practitioners and support organisations, nothing changes immediately. Authorised providers remain in place and the EX107 process continues. The Ministry says the study’s findings will inform nationwide plans to upgrade and open up the court system; in the near term the first universal free provision will be sentencing‑remarks transcripts from Spring 2027. (gov.uk)
Attention now shifts to parliamentary ‘ping pong’ on 15 April and subsequent government updates on testing scope, accuracy thresholds and data governance. If transcript access measures are secured in law, HMCTS will need to set out detailed eligibility criteria and operational guidance before any wider rollout.