Can we get transcripts?

This section was setup in August 2018 in order to move the existing related discussions from other sections into this new section to group them together, and separate from the other CH-related topics.

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Bob
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Can we get transcripts?

Post by Bob »

Does anyone know if transcripts of the trial of Dobbie and Husband would be available? If so, is it a case of applying to the relevant transcription service and paying the fee?

Many thanks.
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J.R.
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by J.R. »

To be honest Bob, I don't know.
There will be court transcripts but if they are publicly available, I don't know.
I will make enquiries.
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bakunin
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by bakunin »

As far as I remember richardb has said it's unlikely we'll be able to obtain transcripts, due to various privacy restrictions (?) and apparently court records are very sloppy, incomplete and untransparent in England (compared to the US) so the best chance would be to rely on a journalist or other court attendee's notes. I can't find the post where he said that right now though. Hopefully he'll be here to clarify...

I would really, really like to obtain them specifically to see the entirety of what Poulton, Cairncross and Sillett (if he was there) said in order to get a real, detailed sense of the level of covering up and denial that was going on at the top of the school. Also I would like a much more detailed understanding of how the abusers operated and got away with it. Then we will be able to assess whether the school's new 2000s onwards "safeguarding" really deals with the problem, or if it's just symbolic PR measures like the ring fence, which certainly would have made no difference to any of the 70s-90s abuses had it been around then.

A further reason would be to see if I can map the social networks of the abusers and see who their close friends were, as it seems quite likely from comments on this site that Dobbie and McCall were good friends (among other teachers) and therefore may have conspired, which may shed light on an event that may have happened to me (that I managed to escape from) very shortly after I left.
sejintenej
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by sejintenej »

bakunin wrote: Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:49 pm As far as I remember richardb has said it's unlikely we'll be able to obtain transcripts, due to various privacy restrictions (?) and apparently court records are very sloppy, incomplete and untransparent in England (compared to the US) so the best chance would be to rely on a journalist or other court attendee's notes. I can't find the post where he said that right now though. Hopefully he'll be here to clarify...
Apart from the privacy restrictions I would have written very much the same thing. The trial is recorded in some from of machine shorthand but would normally only be rendered legible in case of some claim about the trial. Secrecy would be relevent if part of the evidence (or the suppressed names of witnesses) given in camera were included. Everything else was heard by the public at large.
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J.R.
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by J.R. »

OK.

I have spoken verbally and briefly to Richard over this matter and have since e-mailed the questioner.

Yes, You can request a court case transcript but you will need a very good LEGAL reason for doing so.

As I see it, without a LEGAL reason for the request, you are very unlikely to succeed .
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CodFlabAndMuck
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by CodFlabAndMuck »

And it is very expensive
Molesworth 2
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by Molesworth 2 »

CodFlabAndMuck wrote: Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:21 am And it is very expensive
I was asked to try and get sentencing comments for a case for work- the court no longer had copies even though it was relatively recent. The transcription service told me it would be about £300 plus VAT! Sentencing comments from the Judge are usually a few pages long depending on the offence(s) etc so god knows how much an entire trial’s worth of court speak would cost.
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marty
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by marty »

Auscript appear to be the company to approach but a transcript for even just a couple of hours is likely to set you back a few hundred pounds.

If the school sent its own legal representative to each of the trials then they may have had transcripts made to refer back to. But good luck getting them to give you copies...
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Scazza
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Re: Can we get transcripts?

Post by Scazza »

marty wrote: Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:22 pm Auscript appear to be the company to approach but a transcript for even just a couple of hours is likely to set you back a few hundred pounds.

If the school sent its own legal representative to each of the trials then they may have had transcripts made to refer back to. But good luck getting them to give you copies...
In his Jul18 statement....

http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=5134

.....the head made a big issue of a school rep being in court every day, to learn from proceedings. He said to contact him with any concerns, so I intend to press him to release details, or at least a summary of the 'lessons learned' from the court cases.

I suggest Bob and others do too. It won't cost the school anythong if the work has already been done. It is the biggest step to preventing a recurrence and would reassure Old Blues. There's nothing defamatory in there as its a court document.

What possible reasons could they use to justify not publishing? No doubt we'll find out :roll:
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