30th October 2024
Court interpreting inquiry: Ministry of Justice officials to be questioned on language services contracts
As tensions continue to bubble between court interpreters and Ministry of Justice over the decision to continue outsourcing language services, senior government officials will be questioned by parliamentarians about the government’s contracts today.
The House of Lords public services committee, which is currently investigating interpreting and translation services in the courts, will today hear from Mark Stewart, the ministry’s courts and tribunals director, and deputy directors Julie Howkins (commercial, HM Courts & Tribunals Service) and Kris Hamson (intelligent client capability and contract services division, MoJ).
Twelve years after court interpreting services were controversially outsourced, the ministry has decided to continue with the outsourcing model and is currently tendering for new language services contracts to begin in 2026.
In its written submission to the inquiry, the ministry acknowledged that since the contracts were last awarded in 2016, the market for interpreting and translation services has ‘changed significantly, including changes in legislation, technology, standards, user expectations and market rates’.
The submission says: ‘The new procurement process aims to address these changes and ensure new contracts are let in sufficient time to mobilise in readiness for the current contracts expiring.’
Today’s event marks the committee’s second oral evidence session. Last week, the committee heard from the Law Society and Bar Council.
The Law Society’s head of justice, Richard Miller, highlighted challenges arising as a result of current legal aid rates. Susan Grocott KC, co-chair of the Bar Council’s legal services committee, suggested government contracts should contain within its terms and conditions a commitment to automatically increase remuneration rates.
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