The Forensic expert kollegium performs transcription of audio recordings into a text document.

Transcription is the conversion of spoken speech into written text through listening to an audio recording and decoding it. Currently, decoding audio files and converting them into text format is a востребованной service, since an audio recording, as a means of evidence, may in many cases play a key role in court proceedings, and in some cases is the only evidence available to a person whose rights have been violated. In particular, transcription of an audio recording may be required:

• when establishing the fact of verbal insult;
• when establishing the fact of dissemination of defamation;
• when disputable situations arise during court proceedings.

The most responsible and difficult area in audio transcription is the decoding of court hearings. This type of transcription requires special attentiveness and thoroughness, since the transcription text may be attached to the case materials, and the information contained therein may influence its outcome.

At present, not all courtrooms have the ability to record court proceedings using technical means, therefore the recording of the process itself, in particular the questioning of witnesses, orally declared motions, and other procedural actions, is carried out by the secretary keeping minutes in real time. Accordingly, there is a high probability of a situation arising where, due to human factors or lack of knowledge of specific terminology, as well as possible speech defects of the speaker, mistakes and clerical errors may be made in the minutes, while the testimonies of the parties may be omitted or distorted. In this case, transcription of the audio recording of the hearing makes it possible to recreate the course of the court proceedings.

Based on the provisions of Article 287 of the Criminal procedure code of the Republic of Belarus and Article 271 of the Civil procedure code of the Republic of Belarus, one of the forms of implementing the principle of openness of court proceedings is the possibility for any person present at an open court hearing, with the consent of the presiding judge, to record its course in writing or by using audio recording equipment. Therefore, when using this opportunity, both lawyers and participants in court proceedings from different sides may require transcription of audio recordings of court hearings.

In accordance with Article 308 of the Criminal procedure code of the Republic of Belarus and Article 176 of the Civil procedure code of the Republic of Belarus, the parties have the right to familiarize themselves with the minutes of the court hearing in full or in parts as they are prepared. If any of the parties disagrees with the minutes, it has the right to submit written comments on the minutes indicating the errors and incompleteness contained therein (in accordance with Article 309 of the Criminal procedure code of the Republic of Belarus and Article 176 of the Civil procedure code of the Republic of Belarus) and attach its own audio recording. However, the court may encounter difficulties and problems when listening to such a recording. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a transcription of the audio recording of the court proceedings in the form of text on paper.

Since the speeches of persons may contain a large amount of special terminology, as well as emotional remarks by participants in the proceedings, it is necessary to resort to the assistance of specialists in order to qualitatively process audio recordings of court hearings.

Transcription of court hearing recordings at the Forensic expert kollegium is carried out by qualified specialists professionally skilled in converting audio recordings into text documents, possessing the necessary professional vocabulary, and also having a good command of grammar, syntax, spelling, and stylistics of the language.

Upon completion of the transcription of the audio recording, the client receives the full text of the audio recording on paper, certified with a special self-destructive hologram, the organization’s seal imprint, and the signature of the executor, with timestamps and identification of all persons appearing in the given audio recording.

You may contact the Forensic expert kollegium for consultation regarding transcription of audio recordings at: Minsk, Zhukovskaga St., 11A, 4th floor

or by phone: +375 (17) 317 04 71; +375 (17) 317 04 72; +375 (17) 317 04 73; +375 (17) 317 04 74; +375 (17) 317 04 76; +375 (29) 109 60 11; +375 (44) 588 60 11.