28 February 2024
Maternity review chair raised concerns over ‘entrenched’ discrimination at Nottingham hospitals
[…] Mothers from the Roma community said interpretation was “very poor” and that interpreters were often male, which was not culturally appropriate.
Ms Ockenden said a discharge information video was only available in English.
She said some mothers felt they could not provide consent about clinical procedures because translation services “are often so minimal/non- existent”. […]
26th February 2024
Report identifies serious issues with court interpreting in Kent
[…] Issues with interpretation in court
Issues with access to, and quality of, interpreters were a consistent problem. In the court system, interpreters were usually supplied by the private company, the Big Word. Interpreters are paid by the hour for their services. While there are a few regular and experienced interpreters that do a large portion of these cases in the Crown Court, often the interpreters allocated by the Big Word had no previous experiences in arrival cases. As one interpreter explained, “these cases are difficult and they need interpreters who have done it for a while, who have a lot of experience in criminal procedures. This is not always the case and it results in a lot of confusion [for the defendant]”
Frequently, lack of, or delays in organising, interpreters delayed proceedings. When interpreters were present, they were often unable to properly communicate with their client. Arabic interpreters, in particular, were often booked without care as to which dialect the defendant might best understand, resulting either in prolonged delays to proceedings, or in hearings continuing with the defendant only partly understanding. On several observed occasions, interpreters had to be told to make sure they were interpreting fully everything that was being discussed in court: The interpreter wasn’t good. He didn’t say literally everything that I said, maybe 40%. (Samir, Sudanese). Frequently, those supported by Captain Support UK, Humans for Rights Network, and Refugee Legal Support left court not understanding what had happened, where they were going, or for how long.
As cases moved to video link, interpreters would often appear physically in court, or via video link, a hybrid situation which resulted in high levels of confusion, discomfort and distress, and inadequate communication between the court, the defendant, and the interpreter. Having been arrested very soon after arriving, in a foreign country, and in a different language, inadequate interpretation compounds confusion and distress, with the potential for affecting their hearings adversely: Myself as well as the representative yesterday at the police station have both come to the conclusion [the defendant] is very confused. He doesn’t quite know what is happening. His instructions are not most forthcoming, all he keeps saying is that all he wanted to do is to claim asylum because his country of origin, Sudan, is at war.[…]
Problems with accessing and understanding interpreters continued in the Crown Court. For example, in one hearing observed, the wrong dialect Arabic interpreter was booked for a young man from South Sudan, and lawyer and client could not communicate effectively. The interpreter was sent away. While a full hearing was adjourned, the Judge and lawyers continued to discuss his case for half an hour in English. The young man sat alone at the back of the courtroom in the dock without any interpretation, with no understanding of what was going on, or what might happen to him. In another case, an Afghan man, who had already served two weeks longer than expected on remand, had his hearing adjourned by another two weeks because of an administrative error: the magistrates court had noted his language as Arabic rather than Pashto, meaning that the correct interpreter had not been arranged. This type of error was common. Given the backlog within the court system, the frequency of these kinds of administrative error result in hearings being delayed, often extending the period of uncertainty for those in prison. […]
https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/24106918.no-interpreter-leads-powys-drink-driving-case-delay/
11th February 2024
No interpreter leads to Powys drink driving case delay
A man accused of drink driving in Powys will return to court later this month after his case was adjourned.
Vinish Wilson, 37, had been due to appear at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, February 6, but the case was put off due to an interpreter being required. […]
Magistrates adjourned the case to February 20. He was granted unconditional bail until that date.
1st February 2024
Welshpool cannabis factory man's sentencing adjourned
A man convicted of growing a cannabis farm worth around £500,000 that was discovered inside the former County Times offices in Welshpool must wait another week before he is sentenced.
Dino Marku, who speaks limited English, pleaded guilty last month to producing the Class B drug after police seized 246 plants from the empty property next door to Greggs bakery on January 11.
Caernarfon Crown Court was told on Thursday, February 1, that Mold Magistrates’ Court had not told staff that an Albanian translator was needed to be present for the sentencing hearing.
The 39-year-old appeared via video link from HMP Berwyn, near Wrexham, alongside an Albanian-speaking prisoner who had volunteered to help him understand what the judge was about to tell him.
When the prosecution barrister highlighted to the court that the prisoner was not an accredited interpreter, the case for sentencing was adjourned.
The court heard that Marku’s barrister Alexa Carrier was also unable to talk with him before the sentencing hearing because the prisoner was not an official translator.
His Honour Judge Huw Rees told Ms Carrier: “You’ve taken the right approach. That is entirely in conjunction with your professional position.”
Speaking to the prisoner, the judge said: "I understand your good motives but I’m afraid the case cannot carry on without an official interpreter."[...]
