asked the Minister for Justice if he will examine the circumstances surrounding difficulties experienced in obtaining a written transcript of High Court proceedings for the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork, which are urgently needed in order to process an appeal of a case to the Supreme Court; the reason it is possible for someone who has a private stenographer present in the High Court to have that case proceed to the Supreme Court much more speedily; whether this puts at a disadvantage the person who cannot afford to pay for a private stenographer in court; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - High Court Proceedings.
86.
I am informed that the transcript required in this case is now available. The procedure in relation to transcripts is that an official stenographer takes notes but does not convert these into a transcript until it is requested. Transcripts are prepared in the order in which they are requested. The request in this case was finalised in mid-September, 1988 and the transcript was completed on 23 November 1988.
Cases are listed in the Supreme Court as soon as the accessary transcripts are available. Where a transcript is obtained quickly by means of a private stenographer the case will be listed earlier than a case in which the transcript is delayed but, as soon as a case is listed, the court is open to an application for a priority hearing where arguments are advanced to justify it.