Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making court transcripts available to (a) defendants and (b) plaintiffs both (i) during and (ii) after court hearings.

Proceedings in the civil, family and crown courts are audio recorded, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service have processes in place which allow individuals, including defendants and plaintiffs, to request access to transcripts.

Where requested after the hearing has concluded, transcripts are produced by transcription companies using audio recordings. If a defendant or plaintiff requests an instantaneous transcript as a hearing is taking place, this can be provided through a qualified stenographer attending in-court. Both types of requests are subject to judicial approval and typically provided on payment of the relevant fee to cover the cost of the transcription.