https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-court-uses-google-translate-32671566.amp

14 Oct 2025

Guildford court uses Google Translate to tell defendant case is delayed

A court has used Google Translate to tell a defendant convicted of three charges of sexual assault that his case had been adjourned. [...]

But as the defendant was being brought up from the cells, the court was told that there was no Arabic interpreter available for the defendant.

Instructing the court clerk to use Google Translate, the judge said: "Can you type in 'probation need extra time to prepare your report, your case is being adjourned to October 22 when you will be produced at court and an interpreter will be present'?" [...]

The clerk then played the Google Translate text to the defendant before asking the prison officer to inform the prison holding Al-Aswad of the change in circumstances and to repeat the information again using Google Translate. [...]