BIVR was established in 1865, then incorporated in 1887, with the illustrious name of “The Institute of Shorthand Writers Practising in the Supreme Court of Judicature”. Through gradual metamorphoses we are now “The British Institute of Verbatim Reporters”.

Our members achieve their high speeds by dint of sheer hard work, having learned their chosen method of shorthand.

Barbara Wynne, in September 1953, wrote pen shorthand at 375 wpm and wrote in her diary in copperplate Pitman’s shorthand:

“We took one minute at 200…Then ½ a minute at 250…Then 300 for ½ a minute and lastly, the Record Breaker, for ¼ minute which worked out at 375 words a minute.”

Many, many hours of practice are needed to write so fast, so skilfully and so accurately. Our members have speed certificates ranging from 180 - 250 wpm. Many of our machine writers are also Qualified Realtime Reporters (QRR), at speeds ranging from 180 to 240 wpm, with at least 98% accuracy of writing, with no editing allowed!

Throughout our history various Lord Chief Justices have been willing to endorse the Institute:

In 1979 The Rt Hon Lord Widgery penned these words in our Court Reporting as a Career booklet:

“Few are privileged to see the actual work of these verbatim reporters and few, therefore, have seen the degree of clarity and accuracy which they attain, whether the matter for record is pronounced in measured terms or at a cracking speed. We must not take this service for granted.”

In his Foreword to “The Record” in 1991, Lord Justice Geoffrey Lane, wrote:

“I have never understood how any human being could have the mental agility and physical endurance to do what our court shorthand writers do so cheerfully every day. Add the ability to transform what all too often must be verbless sentences and unresolved relative clauses into tolerable English prose and you have the invaluable contribution they make to our work.”

Our members work in Court, Arbitrations, Public Inquiries, or provide Speech-to-Text as an aid to deafened people in their work or leisure activities, all producing high-quality, timely, and accurate transcription.

https://bivr.org.uk