Key Benefits
- High on-time delivery for same-day transcripts
- Real-time transcription optimises court efficiency
- Reliable, remote court monitoring of over 120,000 audio minutes per month
Background
VIQ serves 187 courtrooms in the judiciary of Australia, covering almost all civil matters arising under Australian federal law and some summary and indictable criminal matters. This also includes hearings on taxation matters on appeal from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and objections to decisions made by the Commissioner of Taxation. In addition, VIQ helps the judiciary of Australia focus on innovation and fair and efficient processes to allow families the opportunity to resolve their disputes faster through simplified court procedures. With the acquisition of Auscript, VIQ Solutions has become the primary provider of transcription services for one of the main federal courts in Australia.
The Challenge
The demand for transcripts has remained consistent throughout the years and appears not to be slowing down anytime soon. For example, in 2022, the courts that VIQ services have averaged over 35,000 audio minutes transcribed per month for same-day requests alone. With in-court transcription phased out decades ago, the courts have needed reliable third-party transcription services to meet their spoken evidence needs. In addition, legal parties needed a solution to receive real-time transcription to provide the most efficient and complete evidence for high-profile cases, such as the recent Novak Djokovic case.
The Solution
Once the contract was in place, the courts began utilising the VIQ’s online portal to place orders for transcription services. Once submitted, the audio can be segmented with up to six transcribers working on one transcript to ensure meeting the quick turnaround times. Once each transcriptionist is complete, all the segments are stitched together into one complete document that is reviewed by a Quality Assurance specialist prior to being sent back to court in the timeframe needed. When real-time transcription is requested by legal parties, the VIQ technical and stenography teams work within the Lexel platform to provide a live transcript that can be viewed by the parties while the hearing is in progress, within seconds of the spoken word. Because of the speed of delivery for real-time transcription services, these are often ordered when media interest is high.
Along with transcription services, VIQ provides professional personnel that monitor court proceedings either remotely or onsite. This includes regular audio equipment checks and ensuring that all audio is uploaded to the designated centralised server for the dual purpose of access by authorised personnel via a web portal and access for the transcription team.
The Results
Auscript, a VIQ Solutions Company, has had a 35-year relationship with the judiciary of Australia. Since Auscript’s acquisition in 2021, VIQ Solutions has continued its dedication to consistently meet the high delivery metrics set by the court. In addition, providing real-time transcription for court parties has been a game changer for increasing court efficiency and helping legal teams collaborate and quickly examine evidence spoken in the court.
With reliable, remote court monitoring services managing the recording of an average of over 120,000 audio minutes per month, the courts can focus on the hearings with the confidence that all spoken evidence is being captured.