"no interpreter present"

http://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/news/seventh-drink-driving-charge-for-dungannon-man-coping-with-murder-of-wife-and-daughter-1-7983343 
30 May 2017

[…] The solicitor replied that Daukas was aware that he was at risk of a custodial sentence, and went on to say that there were some doubts as to whether or not he was driving the car on that day. However, the defendant had entered a guilty plea, and spoken to the probation officer, even though there was no interpreter present at the time. […]

thebigword wins legal action against Language Empire

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/05/prweb14358501.htm 
23 May 2017

thebigword wins legal action against Language Empire

Language services provider thebigword Group has won a court order against Language Empire Ltd and its director Yasar Zaman over intellectual property rights.

His honour Judge Hacon in the UK High Court Chancery Division made an order giving judgement against the defendants, restraining them from infringing thebigword’s trade marks.

The case, number IP-2017-000049, was heard in the Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court.

The order restrains the defendants from passing off their products and services as being those of thebigword.

The court ordered the defendants to transfer the internet domains thebigwordtranslation.co.uk and bigwordtranslation.co.uk to thebigword.

It also ordered the defendants to deliver up any offending materials as well as details of any business won as a result of the passing off.

Language Empire Ltd and Yasar Zaman must comply with the order by May 25 or be in contempt of court.

The defendants must also pay damages to thebigword as well as its legal costs. These will be determined at a later date.

Larry Gould, chief executive, said:
“thebigword Group has generated substantial goodwill across the world in the field of interpretation and translation since 1980.

“We work extremely hard to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and customer service for our clients in complex and demanding situations.

“As a responsible organisation with a strong and growing reputation in the public and private sectors, we will defend our position robustly.”

Virtuoso Legal, the leading UK intellectual property firm, acted on behalf of thebigword Group.

Scotland: Dundee patients with little grasp of English ‘lack trust’ of NHS interpreter service

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/dundee-patients-little-grasp-english-lack-trust-nhs-interpreter-service/ 
18 May 2017

Dundee patients with little grasp of English ‘lack trust’ of NHS interpreter service

Patients in Dundee with little grasp of English are relying on friends and family to translate medical issues to GPs.

It is claimed such is the lack of trust in the interpreter service offered by NHS Tayside, “low level” English speaking patients routinely ask friends and families to communicate for them at medical appointments.

In one case, it is said one woman attended her doctor surgery with her five-year-old grandchild who arranged with the GP in question for medicine to be prescribed.

Patients also periodically turn up to appointments to discover an interpreter fluent in an alternative language has been booked, it is claimed.

Caroline Mckenna, from Dundee International Women’s Centre, believes the current interpreter provision service is “fundamentally flawed”.

The claims follow similar complaints from members of Tayside Deaf Forum, who accused NHS Tayside of providing an unreliable interpreter service to deaf people.

Caroline said: “We have more than 100 women who attend our centre weekly and our staff struggled to find anyone who even uses the NHS service now. It really is a poor situation.

“Interpreters themselves have expressed their disappointment.

“It actually wouldn’t take much to get it right. It is really frustrating.”

A spokesman for NHS Tayside said: “NHS Tayside is committed to the obligations and responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 part of which is to ensure that we provide an interpretation service for patients where English isn’t their first language.

“We are still in the process of reviewing interpretation and translation services to allow us to consider how we deliver and manage interpretation and translation services in the future.”