News

Amendments Due to Implementation of Digital Transcription System For Courts 
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - 11:09 AM

Parliament on 16 May 2005 passed amendments to the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, the Companies Act and the Bankruptcy Act to remove statutory requirements for evidence and proceedings to be recorded in writing. will pave the way for the digital audio recording of evidence.
One key advantage is that the trial judge will need no longer record the evidence in longhand. This will free him up to concentrate on the evidence as given by the witness, and also allows him to make his own brief notes at key points of the case. Trials can then move at a swifter pace, possibly resulting in savings in time and costs to the parties and witnesses. Secondly, if there is a dispute as to what the witness had said previously, the digital audio recording can be played back immediately to verify what the witness had said.

With the proposed implementation of a Digital Transcription System later this year, all open court proceedings in the Supreme Court will be digitally recorded.