Courts: Fees and Charges

(asked on 4th September 2023) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the equity of the level of the fee charged to victims to obtain court transcripts of a trial in which they were a victim.


Answered by
Mike Freer Portrait
Mike Freer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 7th September 2023

Accessing transcripts from proceedings in serious criminal cases is not only a fundamental right of victims but is also essential for maintaining transparency and accountability within the justice system. That is why we have provided the required technology to the Crown Courts to enable transcription of different parts of the hearing from the recordings made in all proceedings.

Providing free transcripts of the recordings made during hearings to all victims in criminal proceedings would incur in significant cost. Nevertheless, we have made sure that bereaved family members of victims of homicide and death by dangerous driving, can get a copy of the judicial sentencing remarks paid for by the public purse.

In certain serious criminal cases, a copy of the judicial sentencing remarks can be made available to the public free of charge at the judge’s discretion. Additionally, under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, victims in all criminal proceedings are entitled to be told the sentence the offender received, including a short explanation about the meaning and effect of the sentence, by the Witness Care Unit, which is operated by the police. If a victim has any questions about the sentence which the Witness Care Unit are unable to answer, they are entitled to be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, who will answer any questions which the Witness Care Unit is not able to answer.

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