Pre-Recorded Evidence (PRE): view recorded evidence before trial
You can use the PRE service to view recordings of pre-recorded evidence before trial.
Applies to England and Wales
This service is in a pilot phase with selected courts. It will be available to defence and prosecution representatives in cases across England and Wales in 2025.
About the Pre-Recorded Evidence service
The Pre-Recorded Evidence (PRE) service is an HMCTS-owned and managed platform that allows you to view recordings of pre-recorded cross-examination evidence before a criminal trial.
The PRE service will replace existing third-party contracts to provide for Section 28 of the Youth and Criminal Justice Act pre-recorded evidence (PRE) special measure.
The court will share the recording on the PRE service after the hearing and you will be able to access it immediately. You will only be able to watch the recording on the service – you cannot download it or share it with others.
Before you start
As a defence or prosecution professional, you will need to register for an account before being able to view pre-recorded video evidence on the PRE service.
Register for a PRE service account for your organisation for Common Platform
Once you have registered, we will contact you with next steps.
Find a recording
Once your account is activated, you can start accessing recordings in the PRE service on a desktop computer or laptop. You cannot access the service using a mobile phone or tablet device, such as an iPad.
You cannot use Internet Explorer for the PRE service, so you may need to copy the link into one of these browsers:
- Edge (or Edge Chromium)
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
There are terms and conditions that you will need to accept before being able to sign into the PRE service. You should allow the use of cookies when using the PRE service.
Book and manage a recording
You will be able to book a recording of evidence at court on the day of the hearing – you will no longer need to give 24 hours’ notice. Contact the court dealing with your case to book the recording.
Make a recording
The recording will be made during the pre-recorded evidence hearing, either in a separate court room or at a referral centre. The witness giving evidence will need to attend in person to make the recording.
You can ask that the screen in the hearing room that displays the witness giving evidence is hidden from view of the defendant. This can be during the recording and when the evidence is played back later.
You can also ask for a test recording before the cross examination.
Edit a recording
If you need to edit a recording, you must complete an editing form – ask the court to share the form with you. Send your form to the email address the court give you and to the representative on the other side of the case.
The other side must agree with the edits before they can be made. If they do not agree, the court will need to arrange a mention hearing where a judge can decide on the edits.
Once agreed and approved, the editing can take up to 10 working days. You will receive an email when the new recording is available on the PRE service. The original version will also still be available.
Get help and guidance
For full guidance, see the How to use the Pre-recorded Evidence service guides.
Contact the CTSC if you need further help with:
- registering with PRE
- using PRE once you have registered
- accessing your account
- getting a unique reference number for a case
- booking a recording
Telephone: 0300 323 0194
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm
Saturday, 8am to 2pm
Closed on Sundays and bank holidays
Find out about call charges
Email: contactcrime@justice.gov.uk