COURT REPORTERS who produce the transcripts of proceedings (verbatim notes) in the nation’s courts say they are facing many injustices and will be calling for Prime Minister Andrew Holness to appoint a panel to hear their grouses so that steps can be taken to resolve the issues that are critical to the smooth running of the courts.
They say they will be writing to the prime minister this week to highlight their concerns.
Staff shortage is one of the problems in their department at the Supreme Court, which, they say, has resulted in the staff being overburdened with work.
One of the several criminal courts at the Home Circuit Court could not sit this week because no court reporter was available to record the proceedings.
The St Catherine Parish Court was affected on Tuesday and yesterday and is likely to be closed next week because of the unavailability of court reporters. It has been reported that the shortage could affect other parishes.
Court reporters have been complaining for decades about staff shortage, low salaries, and how overburdened they are with work.
The required complement is 45 court reporters, but the number has now dwindled to 24.
Court reporters’ notes are the official records of the courts.
Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, KC, in commenting on the situation, said her office received advice yesterday from the Supreme Court in respect of the circuit court sessions that will be shortened.
“It is unfortunate, but we have to play the hand that we have been dealt. There are matters in the system that are ready for sentencing and for trial. However, every effort will be made by my staff to work with the police in contacting the witnesses, work with defence counsel and the judiciary to pivot administratively in such a way so as to mitigate any negative impact on the affected circuit courts.
The Michaelmas session of the circuit courts runs from September 18 to December 20, but there are reports that some could end this week because of the shortage of court reporters.
The court reporters say they are frustrated and tired with the condition under which they have to work, and the low salary scale is the main reason for court reporters moving to greener pastures.
“Those in authority have refused to listen to our pleas for help, and this situation cannot continue,” one of them said.
The court reporters disclosed that the tools to do their job, such as the machines and microphones, were malfunctioning and need to be repaired or replaced urgently.
According to the court reporters, they are not being remunerated properly for their work, and in addition, have to be waiting for three months to be reimbursed after submitting claims for mileage.
One of them pointed out that the usual practice was for two court reporters to be responsible for note-taking in a courtroom, but the shortage has resulted in one court reporter being assigned to each court. It is a lot of work, according to the court reporters with whom The Gleaner spoke because they often have to go home after a long and hectic day at work to prepare the transcripts for the Court of Appeal and for judges presiding in trials.
“Those in control don’t seem to realise that the injustice to us will also affect accused persons awaiting trials as well as appellants who need transcripts for their appeals to be heard,” one of them added.
Another sore point, they say, is the reclassification of the court-reporting posts, which they want to be technical posts. The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has not done so.
They pointed out that for about the last 10 years, there has been no training for new court reporters. The reason given is that anyone interested in such training would have to pay US$10,000 for the course. A court reporter said it does not guarantee a pass as the course is very challenging because the writing speed limit is 180 words per minute and above with a 95 per cent pass mark for accuracy.
The Court Administration Division is responsible for the running of the courts, and its director reports directly to the chief justice.
The court reporters said they are calling for the prime minister to appoint a panel to hear their grouses and fix the problems because for years, their cries for justice have gone unheeded by the relevant authority and they are often “disrespected” and are not treated as part of the justice system.