England: Lords committee launches police transcription inquiry

The inquiry will focus on the methods used to prepare the transcripts, how they are used in court and how they are checked and regulated. It will also consider transcription issues that may occur at each stage of criminal proceedings and the potential effects on said proceedings, as well as considering how any issues could be resolved.

The committee expects to report on its findings by the end of the year.

Baroness Morris of Yardley, chair of the Public Services Committee said: “Equal access to justice is a cornerstone of our criminal justice system and it is vital that everyone involved at each stage in any criminal case is presented with a fair and accurate account of evidential proceedings. This applies particularly in criminal cases where transcripts are produced by a public service, for a variety of evidential purposes, including to provide a written record of a police interview with a suspect or witness or to help in understanding unclear audio material.

“However, concerns have been raised around the production, quality assurance and use of these transcripts which might render them unreliable or inadmissible in court. As such, we want to explore what the problems are and look for potential solutions as well as how the process could be improved.”