Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to reduce the cost of crown court transcripts for victims of serious crime.

The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunals Service continue to seek ways to reduce the fees that victims are required to pay to obtain transcripts in criminal proceedings. In particular, we will explore how technology can be used to reduce the costs of transcription, with a view to passing on the savings to parties.

Victims can apply to the court for permission to listen to the audio recording of the hearing at a suitable court location, free of charge and at judicial discretion. In certain serious criminal cases, a copy of the Sentencing Remarks may be made available to the public free of charge at the judge’s discretion