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COMPUTER-ASSISTED STENOGRAPH AS THE BEST TOOL FOR COURT REPORTING
I recommend the Stenograph as the best tool for court reporting in Nigeria. The Stenograph is designed so that any syllable can be written with a single stroke, with different fingers responsible for different parts of each syllable. The left hand types the beginning sound, usually a consonant, at the same time that the thumbs hit the appropriate vowel keys and the right hand types the syllable's end sound. Letters on the keyboard's left side represent the sounds that most commonly begin syllables, and those on the right most frequently end syllables. There are three keys for the letter S because it is used so often, but none for letters such as C, M, and N. Letters that do not appear on the keyboard is represented through a combination of existing letters.
In modern court reporting, the stenograph interfaces with a computer to produce real time transcript of court proceedings. Real-time Reporting is the ability of the court reporter to use computer-assisted (CAT) stenograph machine, which allows the testimony of the witness to appear on a computer monitor in plain English text within a matter of seconds from the time the words are spoken.
PROCESS/EQUIPMENT
Court reporters type the speaker's words as phonetic symbols on a stenographic keyboard that is attached to a computer. These keystrokes are converted into English words by special "translation" software. With CAT equipment, a computerized electronic stenotype machine automatically changes the stenotype notes into a digitized format. The digitized notes are immediately fed into the court reporter's CAT computer that translates those notes into a written transcript. The court reporter proofreads the transcript to correct any possible translation errors, etc., and then prints the final official transcript.
Complete CAT equipment consists of the Stenotype, the computer with appropriate software, and monitors.
COST (for each courtroom)
A Standard Stenotype - $6000 - $7000
A Computer with correct system requirement - $1500 - $2000
Software - $3500 - $4500
Monitors and other peripherals - $3000 - $3500
Total - $14,000 - $17,000
@ #130 per $ =#1,820,000 - #2,210,000 per courtroom.
SUGGESTION
To save cost and maintain standards, the National Judicial Institute should take charge of acquiring equipment and training stenographers. The institute should use pilot courts in each state to steadily improve the competence and speed of the stenographers until they are fit to become trainers themselves. This is by no means a suggestion that any state that so desires should not go forward and implement whatsoever the state deems fit for its judiciary. For this reason, if your state is willing to modernise its court system without waiting for the National Judicial Institute, please let us know.
