A special Government committee will meet within the next two weeks to decide on one of three designs for a new digital court reporting system.

It has been confirmed that three vendors are on the shortlist for the contract but a final decision on which system to have installed is still in the works.

In this year's Budget, Government promised $125,000 for the installation of the recording equipment in all of Bermuda's courts.

A Government Information Services spokeswoman said representatives of the special selection committee had just returned from a trip to the United States where they looked at reporting systems in courts in Florida and Maryland.

She confirmed the committee, which consists of members of the Attorney General's Chambers, the Bermuda Bar Association, Government Management Services and one Supreme Court judge, will be meeting within the next two weeks to decide which design will be the most suitable in helping oil the wheels of the Island's judicial system.

"Hopefully, by the end of the month, they will have chosen which system to have installed,'' the spokeswoman said.

Asked if she could give an estimate as to how long the reporting system would be in coming, she said: "They are aiming to have it installed early in the next fiscal year.'' And she gave the possible cost as "between $100,000 and $150,000''.

Last June, chief executive officer of Smith Bernal International, Graham Smith urged the Island not to go for the "overkill'' when it came to choosing a court reporting system.

He said a digital system would not be "cost-effective'' for Bermuda right now and that "low-tech'' analog equipment would suffice, and would be "available at a fraction of the cost''.

But when Government pledged funds of $350,000 for the project in the same month, Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister stated money was no object.

He said: "In light of the urgency of this matter this Government will not permit the cost of this venture to deter us from obtaining the most suitable system for our courts in the most reasonable timeframe.'' The installation of such a system was one of the platforms on which the Progressive Labour Party based their 1998 election campaign.

But last December, Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb announced that the system would not be up-and-running for at least a year.

She added that the installation of the system would involve much more than the technology component.

"The full solution will require site preparation, the hiring and training of operators and the adoption of practical and cost-effective business processes,'' Ms Webb said.

Opposition Senator and attorney Mark Pettingill, who has long been campaigning for the installation of such a system, expressed disappointment at the time estimate when contacted then.

"When Government came in in 1998, we had assurance it was going to happen that year,'' he said.

"Now we're no further forward and we're being told it won't happen for another year.''