The Cost of Closure
Open Justice For All is campaigning to make court transcripts and judicial remarks freely accessible to victims
"Our criminal justice system is meant to serve all victims, not just those who can afford it."
That's the message behind a new campaign from Open Justice For All, which is calling for victims to have free access to court transcripts and judicial remarks across the justice system.
The campaign follows the tabling of a new Early Day Motion (EDM 361) by Jess Brown-Fuller, which calls for greater access to court records for victims and recognises the barriers many currently face when seeking information about their own cases.
Why Does This Matter?
For many victims and survivors, the end of a court case does not necessarily bring understanding or closure.
Court proceedings can be complex, emotionally overwhelming, and difficult to follow. Some victims may be unable to attend every hearing, while others may want to revisit what was said in court to better understand the decisions that were made.
Yet obtaining transcripts can often cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
Open Justice For All argues that victims are not being treated equally when it comes to accessing information about their own cases and that access to justice should not depend on a person's financial circumstances.
The campaign also highlights that while recent reforms have made Crown Court sentencing remarks available to victims free of charge upon request, many other court records remain inaccessible or prohibitively expensive.
What Is Being Proposed?
The campaign is calling for:
Sentencing remarks from Magistrates' Courts to be made available to victims upon request, free of charge.
Judges' summing up transcripts and/or audio recordings from Crown and Magistrates' Courts to be provided to victims upon request, free of charge.
Sentencing remarks and judicial summing up to ultimately be published in the interests of open justice and transparency.
These proposals are reflected in EDM 361, which states that victims should have "full and fair access to justice" and notes concerns about victims being charged significant sums to obtain transcripts relating to their own cases.
The Motion
The Early Day Motion states:
"That this House believes victims of crime must have full and fair access to justice..."
It goes on to describe it as unacceptable that victims can face substantial costs when seeking transcripts of their own cases and calls on the Government to extend free access to transcripts across the justice system so that all victims, regardless of court, can obtain them without cost.
The motion also welcomes the progress already made under the Sentencing Act, which now allows victims to request Crown Court sentencing remarks free of charge, and acknowledges the work of campaigners, including Charlotte Meijer and the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, in helping secure that reform.
Why Transparency Matters
Access to information can be an important part of understanding what happened, why decisions were made, and what the outcome of a case means.
For some victims, having access to the words spoken in court can help answer questions that remain long after proceedings have concluded.
Campaigners argue that greater transparency can strengthen confidence in the justice system and help ensure that victims are not left searching for answers they cannot afford.
How You Can Support
Open Justice For All is encouraging members of the public to contact their MP in support of EDM 361 and the wider campaign for free access to court transcripts and judicial remarks.
Because understanding what happened in your own case should not be out of reach.
