Scotland: Roma victims of crime in Glasgow 'struggle to gain justice'

https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17968612.roma-victims-crime-glasgow-struggle-gain-justice/

15th October

Roma victims of crime in Glasgow 'struggle to gain justice'

More must be done to help Glasgow's Roma community access justice, a leading prosecutor has said.

Advocate Depute Kath Harper has told of the difficulty in securing an interpreter who could support Roma victims of human trafficking to give evidence.

Following the conviction of four people charged with bringing vulnerable women from Slovakia to the UK, Ms Harper said even after "strenuous efforts" a translator could not be found.

She said: "I think there is real problem, or the potential for a real problem, for Roma speakers to access justice.

"We made strenuous efforts to get a Roma interpreter but we just couldn’t get one.

"From this trial, this is a learning opportunity and I’m not sure how we’re going to overcome that.

"Interpretation particularly with Roma is something we’re going to have to look at because the Roma community, I suppose they are quite vulnerable to this sort of trafficking so if we want to allow them access to the justice system we’re going to have to find a way to communicate with them." […]

https://www.scottishlegal.com/article/lack-of-interpreters-leaves-roma-community-struggling-for-justice

Issues in outsourcing valuable professionalism

https://governmentbusiness.co.uk/features/issues-outsourcing-valuable-professionalism

Issues in outsourcing valuable professionalism

[…] This current situation for most professional interpreters specialising in working for public service organisations is completely unsatisfactory and is proving untenable. Those public service interpreters who are registered and regulated are highly qualified, skilled and experienced professionals. They play a vital role in ensuring our public services run smoothly and effectively, which is of benefit to the taxpayer. Yet, in many cases, they are being asked to work for fees effectively lower than the minimum wage.

Unable to make ends meet, these highly qualified practitioners are being forced to seek work outside of the public sector or leave it altogether. Linked with the need by agencies to supply interpreters to fulfil their contracts, this has resulted in a skills-vacuum that is being filled by those who are unqualified, inexperienced and ill-equipped to interpret complex government, legal and medical information in often emotionally wrought situations.

This race to the bottom has to stop. Quality has to be protected for the sake of the public and the public purse.

Interpreter mix-up leads to delay in case of men behind £200k cannabis haul at former Grimsby bank

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/interpreter-mix-up-leads-delay-3394811

5 October 2019

Interpreter mix-up leads to delay in case of men behind £200k cannabis haul at former Grimsby bank

Two Lithuanian men behind a £200k cannabis factory in a former Grimsby bank couldn't be sentenced when they turned up at court because a Romanian interpreter was sent by mistake.

The two men were due to be dealt with at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday after the huge haul of drugs was discovered in the old Co-op bank building on Osborne Street in May.

But the case had to be adjourned because the interpreter they are entitled to was a Romanian speaker, not Lithuanian.

Judge Mark Bury, dealt with other cases while a search was undertaken to find a Lithuanian interpreter.

The court uses a Leeds-based agency called thebigword and was told there had been "an administrative error" in sending the wrong interpreter.

Judge Bury adjourned the sentencing case against Evaldas Medelis, 28, and Laimonas Navickas, 31, both of no fixed address, to next month.

[…]

Interpreters are booked by each court depending on the language requirement of each defendant.

Each interpreter swears an oath before joining defendants in the dock.

The sentencing hearing has been adjourned to November 1 and both the defendants remain in custody.