PQ: 27 October 2021

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2021-10-22.61149.h

Courts: Interpreters

Ministry of Justice written question – answered on 27th October 2021.

Alex Cunningham Shadow Minister (Justice)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how hearings are classified as (a) complex-written, (b) complex and (c) standard for the purpose of assigning interpreting jobs; and how many individuals HM Courts and Tribunals Services has engaged to conduct spoken word interpreting tasks in each of those three tiers in each of the last four years.

Alex Cunningham Shadow Minister (Justice)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the frequency with which bi-lingual individuals with no public service interpreting qualifications or training are given interpreting responsibilities in courts for Standard assignments.

James Cartlidge Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice has a predetermined set of requirements for linguists, developed to meet the interests of justice. The level was agreed at the start of the contract by judiciary and subject matter experts for each commissioning body.

The MoJ regularly reviews the assigned complexity level attributed to assignment types. The discretion to amend the complexity assigned to a booking is afforded where there is judicial direction to do so, or by those officials acting with delegated authority. This is decided on a case-by-case basis to meet the requirements of the specific booking.

HMCTS - Volume By Complexity & Calendar Year
Year	Complexity	Volume
2017	Standard	25,899
2017	Complex	104,382
2017	Complex Written	3,766
2018	Standard	26,230
2018	Complex	101,539
2018	Complex Written	4,125
2019	Standard	27,520
2019	Complex	100,720
2019	Complex Written	5,687
2020	Standard	27,113
2020	Complex	69,058
2020	Complex Written	4,046

 

The Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring the justice system is supported by a suite of high- quality language service contracts, that meet the needs of all those that require them.

Language professionals provided by our contracted language service providers are sourced from the Ministry’s register. Only language professionals that meet the Ministry’s contractual requirements are included on the register, which is managed and audited by an independent language service provider, The Language Shop.

The contract has a clearly defined list of qualifications, skills, experience and vetting requirements language professionals must meet, which have been designed to meet the needs of the justice system.

All interpreters are also required to complete a justice system specific training course before they are permitted to join the ministry’s interpreter register.

The full details of the standards required for our Language Professionals is set out in our contracts, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/975cb99e-fec6-430f-8f31-fd532a907137

The Language Shop make regular and independent assessments of language professionals carrying out assignments via the Ministry’s language services contracts, to ensure they meet the requirements of the contract between the Ministry and the supplier.

PQ: 27 October 2021

 https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2021-10-12.HL3003.h

Interpreters: Courts and Tribunals

Ministry of Justice written question – answered on 27th October 2021.

Baroness Coussins Crossbench

To ask Her Majesty's Government how often each year between 2017 and 2020 interpreters were used in courts or tribunals in each of the following case categories, as specified by the Ministry of Justice's language services contract: (1) complex written, (2) complex, and (3) standard.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice

A table with the answer to the question is below:

HMCTS - Volume By Complexity & Calendar Year
Year	Complexity	Volume
2017	Standard	25,899
2017	Complex	104,382
2017	Complex Written	3,766
2018	Standard	26,230
2018	Complex	101,539
2018	Complex Written	4,125
2019	Standard	27,520
2019	Complex	100,720
2019	Complex Written	5,687
2020	Standard	27,113
2020	Complex	69,058
2020	Complex Written	4,046

Please note this data includes fulfilled Face to Face bookings only due to the enquiry referring to instances where HMCTS has ‘engaged individuals’

"language barriers"

 https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/came-uk-search-better-life-21772385

6 October 2021

 

[…] Due to language barriers, professional services had to rely on interpreters to communicate with the family.

Coroner Joanne Kearsley said she was concerned interpreters were often asked for professional advice from the family and that there could have been lapses in general information provided.

The court heard Beni’s dad was unable to read or write, with the coroner suggesting that providing the family with a leaflet could have been ineffective in relaying important information, such as that of safe sleeping.

"I am satisfied that information was given to the family in respect of safe sleeping," Ms Kearsley said.

"I am less certain of the manner in which it was given to them. There was nothing documented to say how this was provided.

"I am also less certain as to how much of this information the family would have understood.

"Even when conversing in Romanian, [the interpreter] was not sure how much the family was able to understand due to their educational limitations."

Ms Kearsley said there needed to be a ‘very structured process’ and an ‘overall accepted practice’ of how interpreters recorded information and how they liaised with professionals.