Australian Federal Courts Secretly Sent Sensitive Transcripts to India for Over a Decade

Emails obtained this year expose that the Federal Circuit and Family Court transferred sensitive court transcripts to a subcontractor in India as early as a decade ago, a move initially labeled a technical, minor breach by the court. Paul Cutbush, who oversaw the Auscript project, raised concerns in December 2014, but the court deemed the contravention insignificant and took no corrective steps. When VIQ Solutions, Auscript’s successor, later allowed similar offshore access, the issue resurfaced, leading to VIQ’s liquidation after media scrutiny.

The court’s current leadership says it was unaware of the earlier offshoring. Shadow Attorney General Michaela Cash and Greens leader David Shoebridge have called for a comprehensive forensic audit and an independent inquiry into senior court officials’ knowledge of the practice. The Federal Circuit and Family Court’s CEO David Pringle noted a formal privacy complaint has been lodged in Canada, where VIQ’s parent company is based.