The Many Benefits of Using Remote Court Reporting Services

Remote court reporting services are slowly gaining popularity in the legal industry. A few months ago, we heard about a trial court in southern Arizona being the first local courtroom to utilize the new technology in the country. After its test launch proved successful, other courtrooms in cities nationwide are looking into launching their own pilot programs to test the application of remote recording systems in their own judicial system.

Remote court reporting allows stenographers to record court proceedings from an offsite location in real time. Further, the new technology allows everyone who is involved in a deposition, but is a long distance away from the courtroom and cannot attend in person to still participate in court procedures simply by connecting to the Internet using their webcam-equipped computers or mobile devices.

It is a virtually new technology that still has a long way to go, but already offsite reporting services are helping to address many challenges that are facing a growing number of trial courtrooms all around the world. The advantages are many, which includes:

Reduction in travel costs - It extends the reach between attorneys, their clients and the courtroom and allows everyone to participate in remote depositions at the same time even though they are not in the same place, thus significantly cutting down expenses needed for travel.

Improved efficiency - Traveling may require a number of days flying in and out of town to attend a deposition, which can affect everyone’s productivity and efficiency. Attorneys, for instance, would need to spend at the very least three full days out of the office because of travel requirements when this time can be spent more productively reviewing case records. In other instances, maybe a judge would decide at the last minute that the case needs more expert testimony to prove the facts, but gives the attorney just a few days to get it. The witness is willing to testify, but lives hundreds of miles away from the location of the hearing. With remote conferencing technology, the witness can be in the courtroom to give testimony on the very day of the hearing, although not physically and from a distance.

Flexibility - Remote connections are accessible through a variety of devices and can be set up whenever and wherever needed, and can be used from any location worldwide.

Ease of use – Remote setups are convenient and easy to use.  Participants can simply connect to any desktop computer, laptop, or tablet with an internet connection, click a few buttons to log in and may be able to participate in the proceedings.

Security – Remote applications are capable of delivering information through a secure, enterprise-grade cloud deployment. This protects information or data by converting it into code to prevent unauthorized access and allows conferencing to take place even in multiple locations with maximum privacy and safety.

Record keeping – Many teleconferencing facilities are capable of streamlining and recording legal proceedings in real time. These recordings are converted into electronic files which attorneys and judges can access and review at any time even after the deposition has ended its session, allowing them to make better decisions about how to manage court cases.

Using remote court reporting services can be an efficient and economical option for holding and participating in a deposition.Judges, attorneys and witnesses can schedule at their convenience, participate from anywhere there is an Internet connection and also communicate and interact with one another just as if everyone were in the same room.

On The Record Court Reporting

Anyone involved in the legal realm would definitely know the important role court reporters, otherwise known as judicial reporters play especially in court reporting Ontario proceedings. You read it right. While many of us think that the important characters in any legal proceedings are limited to the lawyers, judge and jury – as they determine the outcome of a case, not a lot of people realize that court reporters are an essential part of the legal scenario.


Court reporters are those who we knew before as court stenographers or short hand or law reporters. A court reporter’s primary responsibility is the accurate transcription of spoken or recorded speech as they happen in the proceedings, into a written format using a variety of ways, including shorthand or stenography through stenotype machine, computer-aided transcription device or a digital audio equipment. The exact transcription becomes a valuable tool or instrument for the justice system.


Court reporting is a profession that requires specialization in converting the spoken word into readable information and making them available for search and archiving. While court reporters usually sit in a deposition in law offices or inside the courtroom to provide verbatim transcription of the proceedings, they also render their services beyond the courtroom and into the private walls of businesses during executive proceedings or shareholder’s meetings.


Most of the time, court reporters are referred to as record guardians since they present an impartial role in the legal proceedings by merely capturing the spoken words of everyone involved in the court proceedings. They are responsible for protecting the integrity of the transcribed records. They are trained to be neutral and having no personal interest in the resulting outcome of any proceedings. Court reporters are individuals trained at achieving highest level of accuracy in the transcribed records based on what was said and spoken during the proceedings. They are also trained to leave off-the-record discussions out by turning their equipment off so that they don’t include confidential or off-the-record conversations. They should be able to provide certified transcripts readily.


The verbatim transcription of the entire legal activity becomes the official transcript or record which helps safeguard the legal process. Any party in any legal proceeding may access the official transcript as and when they deem fit and necessary for their case. These transcripts help lawyers in preparing for trial or appeal.


In the United States and Canada, it is said that the future of court reporting is slowly but surely moving out of the august halls of the courtroom. Court reporters have started to shift to digital reporting. A court reporter, instead of being physically present in a courtroom, can now use an audio recording device to listen to and prepare the official transcripts in the comforts of his office or home. Different from previous practices, Alberta now requires court reporters only during jury criminal trials while the courts in Ontario are gradually replacing court reporters with monitoring positions.


Given the new trends and spin-offs that evolved from traditional court reporting practices, it is not to say that traditional court reporters are pushed into the backseat. While it is true that many courtrooms are now installed with digital audio recording equipment as dictated by technology advancement, traditional court reporters remain to be very valuable particularly in cases that require or demand speedy transcript of the proceedings. Court reporters who are present during the proceedings have firsthand knowledge of what was said and therefore transcribed accurately. A digital recording device can neither ask for clarification when needed nor mark exhibits into evidence. Only a court reporter present in the courtroom is able to do that.


So even with the so-called digital shift, court reporters are here to stay and will remain to be an integral part of court reporting Ontario legal proceedings.