Stenotype

The Stenotype Pool of the Office of the Services Commissions has a complement of stenowriters who are responsible for creating verbatim (word for word) transcripts of proceedings in the Gun Court, commissions of enquiries, investigations and government meetings.

The service is offered to all government bodies, For example, as it is mandated that, at every disciplinary hearing held at a ministry, a stenowriter has to be present to take the notes verbatim. In these instances, the transcripts produced are the official records of these proceedings, which must maintain the highest level of accuracy and fidelity to the words actually said.

Departments/Units

Role within the Gun Court

  • Provide court reporting services to the Gun Courts (Gun Courts I & II) at the Supreme Court on a daily basis.
  • Read back all or parts of a proceeding as requested by the judge.
  • Maintain notes of evidence for a period not less than seven (7) years.
  • Provide transcripts upon request for appeals, probation hearings, and judges’ requests.

Role within Government Bodies

  • Provide stenotype services for various government hearings to include commissions of enquiry (Montego Bay Street People; Armadale; Manatt, Phelps & Phillips; Western Kingston “Tivoli”), disciplinary hearings, appeal hearings (disciplinary; environmental; tax administration), compensation committees (Tivoli), emergency review tribunals (Montego Bay ZOSO), divestment negotiations (Caymanas Park to SVL), and investigations into misconduct (FLA, JUTC, Symbiote).
  • Provide timely, verbatim transcript of the proceedings to the relevant recipients.

General Functions

  • Essentially act as a silent witness, writing word-for-word what is said by all parties.
  • Maintain confidential information.
  • Translate written stenotype notes back to text.
  • Edit transcripts after translation.
  • Send texts via e-mail
  • Research ambiguous points such as name spellings, certain laws and citations, and any reference that needs clarification.
  • Proof the document for errors in spelling and punctuation while leaving grammar largely intact, as the notes are verbatim.
  • Collate and bind the transcript.
  • Effect delivery to correct recipient.
  • File and store copies in personal registry.
  • Inform the general public as to what we do.