Legal technology firm TERES has achieved recognition by the Singapore Courts as an authorized provider of real-time transcription services. This approval enables TERES to support proceedings at the Supreme Court, which includes the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the Singapore International Commercial Court, as well as the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts.
TERES’s inclusion followed a comprehensive due diligence process conducted by the Singapore Courts, according to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Vikas Mahendra. He shared insights with Bar & Bench, explaining, “Representatives of the court observed our services at the TechLaw.Fest in Singapore in 2024. We subsequently expressed our formal interest to the courts, as directed on their website, which led to a stringent due diligence process, culminating in our approval.”
Mahendra emphasized the importance of this approval, stating, “Only vendors listed on the Singapore Courts’ approved provider list are permitted to offer real-time transcription services for court proceedings. Thus, securing this approval was essential for us.”
While the Singapore Judiciary maintains the list of approved vendors, it does not endorse the services offered. Court users wishing to utilize these services are responsible for engaging with the vendors directly.
TERES employs a cutting-edge combination of artificial intelligence and human oversight in its transcription process. Their system creates an initial speech-to-text draft during the hearing, which is reviewed in real time by trained professionals. The transcript undergoes further review before it is certified and distributed to the involved parties. Typically, final transcripts are available within two to three hours post-hearing.
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Beyond transcription services, TERES offers additional features such as the hyperlinking of document references to the hearing bundle, electronic hearing bundles, electronic evidence presentation, and AI-assisted live interpretation overseen by expert translators.
Ensuring confidentiality, TERES staff involved in court proceedings adhere to the confidentiality requirements outlined in Singapore’s Official Secrets Act, 1935, and the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act, 2016.
Having transcribed over 10,000 hours of hearings for more than 500 cases across 60 countries, TERES is also recognized as a transcription provider by notable entities such as Maxwell Chambers, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the DIFC Courts, the ADGM Courts, and the Supreme Court of India.
