Application
This unit describes the skills required to report verbatim and transcribe court proceedings of a straightforward nature using high-speed shorthand or machine shorthand with speed and accuracy set at jurisdictional level. The unit includes preparing for hearings, setting up court arrangements, and producing transcripts.
This unit applies to those working within the court system operating under procedures set by the court.
The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those set by the court.
Those undertaking this unit would generally work independently with occasional supervisory responsibilities. They would perform complex tasks in a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions section. |
1. Prepare for hearings | 1.1 Examine court roster and cause list to identify jurisdiction, number of judiciary and status of case. 1.2 Locate existing glossaries, or for new cases, create dictionaries and glossaries of names and terms from court case file and load dictionaries. 1.3 Check resources and allow sufficient time to set up before proceedings begin. |
2. Set up court arrangements | 2.1 Set up court arrangements by placing and testing equipment, securing cables, addressing or reporting any problems arising. 2.2 Liaise with court, judicial staff and legal profession on proceedings and references. 2.3 Collect and sort files, obtain and examine relevant case information. |
3. Capture proceedings | 3.1 Undertake commencement procedures. 3.2 Take shorthand or notes of proceedings manually or by machine to create accurate transcripts, obtaining clarification of proceedings from participants where necessary. 3.3 Read back transcript as requested. 3.4 Liaise with audio reporters during handovers. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the candidate must demonstrate evidence of performance of the following on at least one occasion.
applying legislation, regulations and policies relating to the recording of court proceedings
gathering and analysing case information
operating shorthand machinery
producing high-quality transcriptions with 99% accuracy at speeds of up to 160 words per minute depending on jurisdiction
editing and summarising transcripts
managing a large personal workload and working effectively under pressure to meet deadlines
reading aloud transcripts
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the depth of knowledge demonstrated must be appropriate to the job context of the candidate.
legislation, regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines relating to the recording of court proceedings
administrative requirements of court reporting
structure, roles and functions of courts
commonwealth, state and territory court systems
courts administration structure
principles of judicial independence
proceedings in two or more types of courts and the related legislation
legal terminology
computer-based registry systems
formats that interface with litigation support products
software programs that support electronic archiving and retrieval of transcript
legal terms and abbreviations
general knowledge of places and terms
English language, spelling, punctuation and grammar
public sector legislation, including WHS and environment, in the context of recording court procedures
Assessment Conditions
Assessment of this unit requires evidence gathered over time in a workplace environment or one that closely resembles normal work practice and replicates the diverse conditions likely to be encountered when recording court proceedings using shorthand.
Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Foundation Skills
The foundation skills demands of this unit have been mapped for alignment with the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). The following tables outline the performance levels indicated for successful attainment of the unit.
Further information on ACSF and the foundation skills underpinning this unit can be found in the Foundation Skills Guide on the GSA website.
Competency Field
Courts