Court reporters who are responsible for taking the verbatim notes of evidence in the circuit courts, and some civil courts, at the Supreme Court claim that they are working in "unfair and deplorable conditions". "It seems to me that at times, we are being treated as slaves because we have to work around the clock because of staff shortage," said one court reporter. "There is much talk about the slow pace at which transcripts of trial cases are sent to the Court of Appeal, but we cannot be blamed because we have nothing to do with the staff shortage," another added. He noted that there was a training programme in 2016-2017 for new court reporters, but they did not attain the required standard and had to be sent back to their substantive posts in the government service. The shortage is so chronic that for the recent.....MORE
