Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Thousands step forward in record magistrate recruitment drive, published on 23 October 2026, what criteria will be used to assess the accuracy, reliability and completeness of audio recordings produced by the technology being piloted in magistrates’ courts.

As part of Government preparations for the implementation of the structural court reforms in the Courts and Tribunals Bill, HMCTS piloted audio recording technology in seven magistrates’ courtrooms between 15 September and 23 October 2026. This measure is in line with Lord Leveson’s recommendation, in his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, for mandatory recording to strengthen transparency and support the proposed reforms to the magistrates’ court appeals process.

The pilot tested the technology and the operational processes needed to introduce recording consistently, reliably, and securely. The pilot evaluation will assess whether hearings are successfully recorded and retrievable; whether audio and transcripts are intelligible, complete and correctly attributed; and whether they accurately capture key hearing events, judicial reasons, and legal advice. As this is a process evaluation, it will not assess impacts on appeal outcomes or parties' ability to challenge decisions. The evaluation will inform decisions on the detailed design and implementation of audio-recording in the magistrates’ courts, the final requirements for which remain dependent on the passage of the Courts and Tribunals Bill.