Monday 17 March 2014

More language problems

http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/analysis/letters/more-language-problems/5040370.article 
17 March 2014 by Malcolm Fowler

More language problems
Stephen Bishop hits the nail on the head.
The National Register of Public Service Interpreters may be an imperfect instrument, but credit where it is due, a recent complaint about the expertise and training of a particular interpreter was dealt with promptly, professionally and courteously by his organisation.
It led to the interpreter in question being disciplined in a measured and appropriate manner.
I have no wish to seem impatient with other defence practitioners, hard-pressed as we all are. But if we were all to complain, where appropriate, then there would be three consequences:
i. the calibre and professionalism of interpreters in our police stations and courts would be enhanced;
ii. the Ministry of Justice’s ill-judged outsourcing of interpreting services would be further exposed for the arrogant and ignorant blunder it was; and
iii. as defence practitioners, we would escape the opprobrium that is surely to come as a result of this outsourcing.
I am at a loss to understand why the simple procedure of identifying contact details of a fully accredited interpreter by logging on to the NRPSI website is considered so much trouble.
Malcolm Fowler, Dennings, Tipton

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