Court transcripts to be available online
A new online service will mean that court documents and transcripts will be available for “click and collect” come next year, in what the NSW A-G has said will improve efficiency and modernise the Australian court system.
Using the new service launched by the NSW government on Wednesday (1 December), legal practitioners, self-represented parties and the judiciary will soon be able to order, track and receive transcripts for their cases.
“Accurate transcripts of court proceedings are central to safeguarding the legal system. We’re rolling out a simple, secure, digital platform that handles ordering, payments, tracking and delivery of transcripts in one location,” he said.
“The new streamlined Online Transcript Portal replaces myriad old processes where transcript applications were made by email, in person by pen and paper at court registries and even during proceedings.”
Any party or legal representative in a case will be able to order a transcript, view the progress of a transcript request, access completed transcripts, make payments online and receive notifications via the online service. The service is part of a $54 million investment over three years to modernise the NSW courts – and include other initiatives such as digitising court files and bringing more proceedings online.
Online ordering has been used by court registry and support services staff since July 2020, with over 20,000 transcription orders processed so far. Feedback from these has enabled more improvements to be made before it goes public, said Mr Speakman.
“Court users will reap the benefits of this innovative project that will modernise our services and improve efficiency. Equal access to justice is our priority, and requests by non-parties for transcripts can still be processed via email or over court registry counters for those who need them,” Mr Speakman said.
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.