AGY-3898 | Reporting Services Branch

Full description

As a result of an efficiency audit conducted by the Public Service Board and an earlier decision by the Attorney General’s Department, steps were taken to amalgamate the Department’s recording services. From 1 July 1988 the Court Reporting Branch was amalgamated with the Transcription Services Bureau and the Recording Services of the Local Courts to form the Reporting Services Branch. (1) From 1 July 1988 to 30 June 1991 the Director of the Reporting Services Branch reported to the Director, Higher Courts & Support Services in the Attorney General’s Department. (2)

In May 1990 the Attorney General’s Department undertook a review of reporting services in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Major recommendations of the review were:
further implementation of sound recording;
increasing the number of court reporters who could use Computer Assisted Transcription (CAT);
training of monitor/typists in editing transcripts;
providing accommodation for reporting services staff closer to the courts they served;
review for sound recording in the Industrial Commission; and
implementation of a management reporting system to monitor service and productivity.

At this time the Reporting Services Branch was headed by a Director and divided into Reporting, Transcription, Administration and Training sections. (3)

On 1 July 1991 courts administration was separated from the Attorney General’s Department. The Director of the Reporting Services Branch then reported to the Deputy Director General of the new Department of Courts Administration. The Branch’s functions were: to operate a state-wide reporting, recording and transcript service; to coordinate and develop administrative support systems; and, to provide training for all operational and administrative staff. (4)

On 5 April 1995 with the abolition of the Department of Courts Administration the Reporting Services Branch was transferred to the Attorney General’s Department once again. (5) It then reported to the Director, Court Support Services. It operated a state-wide court reporting, sound recording and transcript service to various court jurisdictions, as well as to some boards and tribunals. In 1994/95 the Reporting Services Branch undertook an evaluation of emerging court reporting technologies, including Computer Assisted Transcription, and steps were taken to improve the speed and accuracy of transcript provided to the courts. (6)

From 1998 to 2000 the Reporting Services Branch was part of the Justice Support Services program. (7) From 2000/2001 the Reporting Services Branch operated as an independent business centre within the Attorney General’s Department, reporting to the Assistant Director General, Court and Tribunal Services. Its role remained to ‘operate statewide court reporting, sound recording and transcript services to the NSW courts, boards and tribunals’. (8) In 2004 the Reporting Services Branch consisted of four units: Management Information and Quality Improvement Unit; the Operations Unit (court and sound recording); the Corporate Support and Services Unit; and, the Technology and Support Unit. (9)

From 1 July 2009 when the Attorney General's Department was abolished the Reporting Services Branch became a branch of the new Principal Department, the Department of Justice and Attorney General. (10)

From 4 April 2011 when the name of the Department of Justice and Attorney General was changed the Reporting Services Branch became a branch of the Department of Attorney General and Justice. (11)


Endnotes:
(1) NSW Attorney General’s Department, Annual Report 1988, pp.76-78.
(2) Attorney General’s Department of NSW, Annual Report, 1989, pp.36-37, 45; The Attorney General’s Department of NSW, Annual Report, 1990, pp.16-17, 64-65, 71; and The Attorney General’s Department of NSW, Annual Report, 1991, pp.14-15, 28, 32.
(3) Review of Reporting Services in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, May 1990 [Attorney General’s Library], p. v.
(4) The Department of Courts Administration, Annual Report 1991-1992, pp. 7, 12, 52-53. and NSW Department of Courts Administration, Annual Report, 1992/93, pp.24, 42.
(5) NSW Government Gazette, 7 April 1995, p.1860.
(6) Attorney General’s Department, Annual Report, 1994/95, pp.7, 66-67.
(7) Attorney General’s Deparment, Annual Report, 1998-1999, pp.9, 50-51 and Attorney General’s Department, Annual Report, 1999-2000, pp.9, 58-59.
(8) Attorney General’s Department of NSW, Annual Report, 2001-2002, pp.7, 66.
(9) Lawlink NSW: Reporting Services Branch (http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/rsb.nsf/pages/transcript11). (Webpage cited 26 March 2004.)
(10) Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352) cls. 20; notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009.
(11) Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184) cls. 36; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.