Index

Intro
Main Duties
Employment Requirements
All Titles
Exclusions

Intro

Court reporters record and transcribe verbatim the proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies and committees, and prepare transcripts for use by judges, tribunals and quasi-judicial panels. They are employed by courts of law, provincial and federal legislative assemblies and committees, or they may be self-employed. Medical transcriptionists record, transcribe and edit dictation by physicians and other health care providers, surgical proceedings, health-related reports and other medical documentation. They are employed by hospitals, medical clinics and doctors’ offices, or they may be self-employed. Closed captioners, braille technicians and other transcriptionists are included in this unit group.

There is some mobility between occupations in this unit group and other occupations requiring similar knowledge of legal or medical terminology, such as legal or medical administrative positions.

Main Duties

Court reporters perform some or all of the following duties:

Record verbatim proceedings of courtroom using electronic stenograph machine or stenomask
Respond to requests during court sessions to read back verbatim evidence
Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats
Verify accuracy of transcripts by checking copy against original record of proceedings and accuracy of rulings by checking with judge
Research and locate quotes to ensure accuracy
Respond to requests for transcripts ordered by judges, lawyers or the public
File and store shorthand notes of court session.

Medical transcriptionists perform some or all of the following duties:

Transcribe recorded dictation in accordance with established formats or written documentation from medical reports, correspondence, health records and patient information
Proofread work for typographical and grammatical errors.
Edit transcripts for missing or incorrect content and formatting

Employment Requirements

Court reporters require completion of secondary school.
Completion of a college or other program in court reporting is usually required and the Chartered Shorthand Reporter (CSR) certificate may be required for court reporters.
Medical transcriptionists require completion of secondary school.
Completion of a recognized medical transcription program is usually required and the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) certificate may be required for medical transcriptors.
Occupations working in Braille usually require education in Unified English Braille (UEB) competence and related studies of 1-2 years.

All Titles