Victims can’t access their court transcripts because they’re too expensive – the government says AI might be the answer

Barriers to Accessing Court Records: Victims and those challenging convictions face significant barriers in accessing UK court records due to high costs and bureaucracy.
Government Initiatives: The UK government has abandoned its policy of destroying court records and introduced a plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) to make court transcriptions more affordable and accessible.
AI Pilot Trial: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will run a pilot using its AI system, Justice Transcribe, to evaluate the accuracy of AI transcriptions before a potential nationwide rollout.
Impact on Victims: Accessing court transcripts is seen as crucial for victims’ recovery and healing process; however, the costs have been prohibitive, sometimes exceeding £30,000 for full trials.
Scepticism About AI: There is significant scepticism about the reliability of AI transcription due to potential inaccuracies, “AI hallucination,” and the risk of distorting justice.
Oversight Necessary: Legal experts argue that human oversight is essential when integrating AI into the justice system to uphold regulatory obligations and avoid potential legal liabilities.