Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what adjustments do HM Courts and Tribunal Service offer to deaf jurors who need speech to text reporting within a deliberation room.

Individuals with hearing impairments currently have access to Induction Loop Systems and those who are able to lip read can and do serve as jurors. They also have access to shorthand writers who transcribe the proceedings in court. While Speech to Text Reporters (STTR) may be suitable for transcribing court proceedings, they are not considered an effective option to enable jurors to converse and engage with other jurors and fully participate in deliberations.

Clause 164 in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill has therefore been drafted to enable only British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to be present in the jury deliberation room. We have also considered speech to text transcription using AI technology as an additional support which would not require a change in the law. However, the technology is not yet sufficiently advanced to accurately transcribe a real time written account of jury deliberations and enable a deaf juror to fully engage in discussions. We will continue to keep this under review as the technology develops.