Crown Court transcript redaction is the removal of personal data from criminal proceedings. The Criminal Procedure Rules and the Contempt of Court Act 1981 govern reporting and disclosure. anonym.plus runs on your device, so the file never leaves your control.
When this applies
A reporting restriction or judicial order permits a limited release. Before any disclosure, witness and defendant names must be hidden to respect the order.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the record in anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool flags witness, defendant, and juror names.
- Dates, addresses, and case numbers get flagged.
- Swap or black out the confirmed identifiers.
- Save the clean record on your device.
What you need to provide
- The record (PDF, DOCX, or scan).
- An operator (Redact suits a judge-ordered release).
- Optional role map for [WITNESS] and [DEFENDANT] labels.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | witness → [WITNESS] |
| Names | PERSON | defendant → [DEFENDANT] |
| Names | PERSON | sitting juror → [JUROR] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | session date → [DATE] |
| Location | LOCATION | address → [ADDRESS] |
| Case | CASE_NUMBER | case no. → [CASE_NO] |
Compliance achieved
- Works inside the court-record and supply rules in Part 5 of the Criminal Procedure Rules, which govern what may be released from the record and to whom.
- Respects any restriction imposed under Part 6 of the Criminal Procedure Rules and any postponement order made under s.4(2) Contempt of Court Act 1981.
- Holds the lifetime anonymity of a complainant in a sexual offence under s.1 Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, and the reporting limits for anyone under 18 under s.45 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.
- Notes that prosecution material disclosed to the defence stays restricted by s.17 Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, whatever the transcript quotes.
- Fully offline — sensitive matter stays in your control.
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Limitations & cautions
Reporting restrictions are strict, and only the court may permit some disclosure. The tool helps with the redaction, not the legal basis. Confirm the order's scope, and review free text for clues that could unmask a protected witness.
Frequently asked questions
What restricts disclosure of these proceedings?
Part 5 of the Criminal Procedure Rules governs the court record and what may be supplied from it; Part 6 governs reporting and access restrictions. A postponement order may be made under s.4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, anonymity for a complainant in a sexual offence runs for life under s.1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, and s.45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 covers anyone under 18.
Are juror names hidden too?
Yes. Witnesses, defendants, and jurors can all be flagged and swapped or blacked out, since naming a juror can engage contempt rules.
Does the file leave my machine?
No. Work is fully local, so a sensitive criminal record never reaches a server or third party.