Loss in translation
PROFESSIONAL interpreters are questioning a decision by the Ministry of Justice to seek new outsourced language services for the courts, before completing a review of current practices.
The collaborative review was being carried out with members of Professional Interpreters for Justice, who have long despaired over the
impact of outsourcing interpreting services to commercial providers since 2012 (Eyes passim). In a model letter for its members to
send to their MPs, the National Register of Public Service Interpreters notes that two out of the three agencies contracted are no longer even in business.
The third business, Thebigword, saw a fresh round of problems this summer, when its new booking app struggled to provide interpreters with the times and locations for court cases they were due to attend.
Justice minister Heidi Alexander has confirmed to MP Kerry McCarthy that a tender notice will be published soon, once again seeking outsourced providers. This also pre-empts the current House of Lords public services committee inquiry into whether the
current provision of language services meets the needs of defendants, prosecutors, witnesses and legal professionals.
Copyright: Private Eye, N 1634, 11 Oct - 24 Oct 2024, p.36