Access to justice is a fundamental human right, and the legal system plays a crucial role in providing this access. Unfortunately, the legal system is often criticized for being slow, expensive, and inaccessible to many people. Fortunately, technology has been instrumental in improving access to justice, and VIQ Solutions’ AccessPoint is a prime example of how technology can be used to improve access to justice.
What is AccessPoint™?
VIQ Solutions AccessPoint is a secure, centralized portal that allows restricted access to audio recordings of court proceedings. AccessPoint provides a user-friendly interface that allows users to search and playback audio recordings with a maximum delay of 30 minutes from the spoken word using an optional progressive export feature. This makes it possible for transcriptionists to have more immediate access to the spoken word, which is crucial in the legal profession. AccessPoint allows the users to view audio and annotations (entered by the judge or court admin during court proceeding), and optionally export those if permitted by the admin. AccessPoint also provides an unparalleled chain of custody through audit/access logs and user-based permissions, ensuring that the audio recordings are secure and tamper-proof.
Commonwealth Courts in Australia
The Commonwealth Courts portal is a joint initiative of the Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The portal provides web-based access to information about cases before these courts. After registering, lawyers and parties can access near real-time information about their cases, including documents filed and scheduled listing events, and other essential information. The portal has been instrumental in improving access to justice in Australia, and AccessPoint has been integrated with the portal to further improve access to justice.
AccessPoint was the perfect fit for the Commonwealth Courts Portal due to its ability to serve admin-controlled access, logs, as well as a For The Record (FTR) recording software integration. AccessPoint was customized to meet the unique requirements of the Commonwealth Courts Portal, such as commonly used search criteria. As a result, the courts didn’t need to switch from the FTR recording solution with the ability to seamlessly connect to AccessPoint to have a familiar search and platform user experience. The integration of AccessPoint with the Commonwealth Courts portal has further improved access to justice in Australia.
South Australian Employment Tribunal (SAET)
The South Australian Employment Tribunal (SAET) is South Australia’s forum for resolving workplace-related disputes and issues. While utilizing AccessPoint, SAET has always complimented the product’s simplicity and user experience. SAET utilizes CapturePro to record court recordings and monitor the courtrooms, AccessPoint to store/retrieve the recordings, and NetScribe to then transcribe using automatic routing. SAET was especially interested in a simple interface, processing and routing of content, sharing content for collaboration, unparalleled chain of custody, and editable access permissions. AccessPoint was the perfect fit for their requirements. The solutions provided by VIQ Solutions met SAET’s robust security framework requirements and presented a seamless experience.
VIQ Solutions AccessPoint is proven to improve access to justice. Along with the mentioned integrations, the following updates have recently improved client experience:
Audiograph
Audiographs provide visual cues and identify silent portions of the audio, making it easier for users to navigate and search through court records and transcripts. Moreover, audiographs are interactive and allow users to click on them to playback the recording, making it easier to find specific information. This feature is especially helpful for legal professionals who need to quickly find specific portions of a court recording or transcript.
Progressive load
One of the most notable features of the recent AccessPoint updates is the progressive load capability. With progressive load, court recordings are sent to AccessPoint as a set of several small audio files that arrive every few minutes while the court is in session. This feature is particularly valuable for transcriptionists who need almost immediate access to the spoken words. It also allows users to playback audio recordings in near real-time as the court proceeding is taking place. This means that users can easily access critical information as it happens, leading to more efficient and effective case management.
Portal localization
With portal localization, users can select their region and time zone to view date/time stamps in their regional locale. This feature allows AccessPoint to offer the solution to various global markets, making it more accessible to legal professionals worldwide.
Scalability
Finally, AccessPoint has undergone scalability and load testing to ensure that it can handle mounting numbers of courtrooms and evidence. The application is scalable for courtrooms of many sizes, making it a flexible and reliable solution for courts and legal professionals of all types.
In conclusion, VIQ Solutions AccessPoint is a powerful and effective tool for courts and legal professionals seeking to improve access to justice. Its user-friendly interface, continuous updates, and scalable features make it an essential tool for managing and accessing court records and transcripts. Recent updates to AccessPoint have further improved the platform’s functionality and ease of use. Legal professionals looking for a solution to help them manage and access court records and transcripts should consider AccessPoint as a reliable and effective option.
Contact us now to learn more about AccessPoint and how VIQ can help improve your court’s access to justice.