Courtwatchers expose a 'wild west'

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news-focus/courtwatchers-expose-a-wild-west/5119840.article

Courtwatchers expose a 'wild west'

28 May 2024 by Bianca Castro

[…] More than a fifth of hearings (230) involved a defendant for whom English was not a first language. An interpreter was not provided in 104 of those cases. Defendants who needed interpreters were ‘some of the worst served by the court’, the report said.

The report added: ‘One defence lawyer was overheard telling their client that getting an interpreter would take so long that it was better to proceed without one.’

One courtwatcher reported a judge’s attempt to communicate with a defendant ‘by typing up a transcript on Google Translate and using the text-to-speech feature, but the audio on her laptop would not work, and the client did not understand the written transcript, meaning he likely had little understanding of what happened during the hearing’.

The report said: ‘Some examples of courts’ attempts to proceed in the absence of an interpreter – through Google Translate and “speaking loudly” – would be laughable if they did not represent a serious breach of someone’s basic right to understand what was happening at such a life-changing moment. […]

PQ: 13 May 2024

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2024-04-12.21326.h

Maternity Services: Interpreters

Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 13 May 2024.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy Labour, Streatham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 1.10 of the Three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, published on 30 March 2023, what steps her Department is taking with NHS England to monitor the provision of access to interpreters for patients in maternity services by NHS trusts.

Maria Caulfield The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Integrated care boards and National Health Service providers are responsible for ensuring that translation and interpretation services are in place, as they are better placed to make decisions about how they use their funding based on the needs of their local populations. To support them in this, NHS England has developed a framework agreement with suppliers of translation and interpretation services, whose experience and capability has been robustly tested. The services include face to face spoken language, British sign language, telephone interpretation and translation, document translation, and video translation and interpretation. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.sbs.nhs.uk/services/framework-agreements/interpretation-and-translation-services/

To identify the most effective way to improve interpretation provision across all clinical services, including maternity and neonatal care, NHS England has completed a strategic review during 2023/24. The review considered the breadth and complexity of issues across the patient pathway, and completed an options appraisal of potential interventions. The review will inform how we best help improve interpretation services so that they meet the needs of communities and support equitable access, experience, and outcomes for all, and includes the development of an NHS Framework for Action for Community Language Translation and Interpreting during 2024/25.

PQ: 7 May 2024

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2024-05-01.24398.h

Immigration: Translation Services

Home Office written question – answered at on 7 May 2024.

Hywel Williams Shadow PC Spokesperson (International Development), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Work and Pensions), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Defence), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Cabinet Office), Shadow PC Spokesperson (International Trade), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Foreign Affairs), Shadow PC Chief Whip

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has issued on the provision of culturally appropriate oral and written professional translation when communicating with (a) applicants for asylum, (b) people in immigration detention, (c) people appealing application decisions and (d) people identified for deportation to Rwanda.

Hywel Williams Shadow PC Spokesperson (International Development), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Work and Pensions), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Defence), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Cabinet Office), Shadow PC Spokesperson (International Trade), Shadow PC Spokesperson (Foreign Affairs), Shadow PC Chief Whip

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what culturally appropriate oral and written professional translation services are provided by his Department when communicating with (a) applicants for asylum, (b) people in immigration detention, (c) people appealing application decisions and (d) people identified for deportation to Rwanda.

Michael Tomlinson Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

The Home Office aims to provide interpreter and translation services for refugees and asylum seekers at public expense whenever and wherever necessary. Interpreters are engaged by the Home Office to act on its behalf. They are not Home Office employees and undertake freelance work commissioned by the Home Office. In some circumstances interpreting services are provided by commercial partners.

Interpreters/translators engaged are required to operate to a high standard on a range of protection-based and human rights topics including (though not limited to) religious conversion, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sexuality and gender-based claims, all types and forms of persecution, medical (physical and mental health) and political activity.

The Home Office also works with other commercial providers and public sector bodies which provide interpreters and linguists to ensure the best sector-wide standards are applied.

Guidance on the use of interpretation and translation services, Detention Services Order ‘Interpretation Services and use of Translation Devices’, was published in July 2022. This guidance sets out the provisions, including interpretation services and translation devices, available for individuals held in immigration detention and the circumstances in which these should be used.