Lingo bingo
WHILE the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) continues to review whether the qualifications for court interpreters are good enough, cases are still being delayed by the lack of any interpreter at all.
One trial at Croydon magistrates' court, for a charge of "failing to stop after a road accident" in which a man was seriously injured, has been postponed twice due to the lack of a Spanish interpreter for the defendant. A plea hearing in June was delayed by the lack of an interpreter and an attempt to start the trial in August had to be abandoned.
Earlier this year a convicted violent sex offender couldn't be sentenced because there was no Turkish interpreter available in Hull (he was eventually jailed for 10 years at a later hearing).
The MoJ launched a review of interpreter qualifications in January after an attempted House of Lords amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. This sought to introduce minimum qualifications and experience for court work due to concerns that poor standards of interpreting were undermining justice (Eyes passim). Justice minister Lord Wolfson promised the review would be completed before the retendering of language contracts in 2023 and that it would seek to "establish the most appropriate and cost-effective solution".
Alas, thanks to the closure of university language departments, tightening of immigration rules and Brexit, courts may be even less able to find interpreters once the required qualifications are increased. Two years ago, the government's migration advisory committee recommended adding "interpreter" to the government's shortage occupation list to make it easier for interpreters to get a visa to work in the UK. It has not yet been added.
Copyright: Private Eye. N1581, 9th - 22nd September 2022, Page 40
