Summary
Stenography for legal proceedings is a highly specialised profession that requires the full and uninterrupted concentration of the Court Reporter and Editor to ensure transcripts are produced accurately and delivered in a timely manner.
To maintain the quality of the transcript and protect the wellbeing of our reporting teams, regular rest breaks must be incorporated into the hearing timetable.
Reporter Welfare and Break Requirements
Court reporting is both physically and mentally demanding, and the welfare of our reporting teams is of the utmost importance to Opus 2. For this reason, it is essential that adequate rest breaks are scheduled during each sitting day to support health, safety, and sustained transcription accuracy.
This requirement applies to all hearings, but it is particularly important for remote transcription, where reporters are not visible on screen and where the effects of virtual fatigue are widely recognised.
We understand that the Judge or Tribunal, in consultation with the parties, will determine the overall hearing timetable and may also need to accommodate participants in different time zones. However, we kindly ask that appropriate breaks for the reporting team are included when the timetable is agreed, in line with our standard service requirements.
Standard Break Structure
Opus 2 Court Reporters require the following minimum break structure during a sitting day:
- 10-minute rest break every 1.5 hours
- One extended 60-minute meal break
These breaks are necessary to maintain the accuracy, consistency, and quality of the transcript.
Hearing Timetable Requirements
The length of time a Court Reporter can transcribe during a sitting day may vary depending on the hearing structure. For this reason, we request that the proposed hearing timetable, including planned breaks, is shared in advance so that the appropriate reporting resources can be assigned once instruction is confirmed.
Where the break structure outlined above does not easily fit within the proposed timetable, Opus 2 will liaise with our Reporter Management Team and the parties to agree mutually suitable sitting arrangements.