Make all court and tribunal transcripts available free of charge
Make all court and tribunal transcripts available for free. Currently, fees can reach thousands, creating a "paywall" for justice. All legal records should be public property to help ensure transparency, allow for fair appeals, and support victims. Access to the law should not depend on wealth.
Signatures
203,137
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 100,000/100,000 · reached
- 23 MAR 2026Debate was scheduled — outcome pending
- 03 MAR 2026Government respondedMinistry of JusticeGovernment reply
The Government is already increasing transparency in the courts, including expanding free access to Crown Court sentencing remarks. Going further now would place even more pressure on the system.
Read full response - 10 FEB 2026100,000 signatures reachedEligible to be considered for debate
- 10 FEB 202610,000 signatures reachedEligible for a government response
- 05 FEB 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Daniel ShenSmith
Background
High transcription costs can create a prohibitive paywall for justice. Private companies can charge thousands for transcriptions, which can effectively bar small-claims litigants from pursuing fair appeals or accessing their own trials. Full transcriptions of the longest trials can cost £20k. Access to the law mustn't be a luxury for the wealthy. We ask the Government to end the private-pay model and provide free digital access to all transcripts to help ensure transparency and equality.