On the record
What a transcript is for, who produces it, how testimony crosses the border — and a regular watch on transcription and justice in Canada and the United States.
Record watch: transcription and justice in Canada and the U.S. — late September 2026
In Texas, an AI-assisted deposition transcript reaches the state Supreme Court; California opens another way into court reporting; and the closing of an Acadian courthouse brings the Commissioner of Official Languages to the Supreme Court of Canada.
What a legal transcript is for — and who actually reads it
It is not a set of notes. It is the record: what the appeal court will read, what counsel will cite by page and line, and what the witness will find in front of them.
Court reporter, transcriptionist, interpreter: who does what
Three jobs that get confused, three different products. In Quebec, Ontario and the United States: who takes the record, who transcribes it, and who translates it aloud.
Deposing a Canadian witness for a U.S. case
Canada is not a party to the Hague Evidence Convention. Willing witness or letters rogatory: here is how it works, and what to plan for when the witness speaks French.
Record watch: transcription and justice in Canada and the U.S. — September 2026
California allows electronic recording when no court reporter is available, North Dakota moves to audio, with AI next, and in Quebec the language of official documents is back before the Superior Court.
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