Judicial services

Tender description

This notice launches the competition for the provision of Court Reporting and Transcription Services. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), as the Contracting Authority, expects to put in place a framework agreement for the provision of Court Reporting and Transcription Service to the Criminal, Civil, Family and Administrative justice system (i.e. including Tribunals). The MoJ is required to record hearings which take place in Crown, County and Family Courts, the High Court, Court of Appeal and Administrative Court. Audio recordings provide a true and accurate record of proceedings and are used, when required, to produce transcripts as an official court record. The record is used as evidence in, or grounds for, an appeal to a higher court although it can have many other uses across the divisions of the MoJ, for example, court judgements are published where it is deemed to be in public interest. Where precedent is set these form a part of the case of law of England and Wales. It is the intention that all transcription services will be required under a framework agreement, split into the following functional Lots: 1) Off-Site Transcription Services (OTS), covering all off-site transcriptions 2) Attendance Based Transcription Services (ATS), covering court reporting and stenography, on-site transcription [Public Immunity (PII), Secrert and Top Secret] 3) Real-Time Transcription Services (RTS), covering all instantaneous on-site transcription, in-court display, production of formatted transcripts The contracting authorities within the scope of this notice are: — The Ministry of Justice; Executive agencies of the Ministry of Justice including but not limited to the National Offender Management Service, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, the Legal Aid Agency, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and the Office of the Public Guardian; Non-departmental public bodies of the Ministry of Justice, including but not limited to the Youth Justice Board, the Parole Board, the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Sentencing Council and Independent Monitoring Boards; — The Ministry of Defence — Department of Work & Pensions — Competition and Markets Authority — Police and Crime Commissioners and their forces; — Law enforcement agencies and forces; — Crown Prosecution Service; — National Archives; — Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales; — HM Inspectorate of Prisons; — HM Inspectorate of Probation; — Victims' Commissioner; — Official Solicitor and Public Trustee; — Other public sector bodies including local authorities The anticipated term of the framework will be two years plus an additional two years (at the discretion of the MoJ). Further details of the services will be set out in the procurement documents.