The House of Lords have ruled that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) should conduct a full review of minimum qualifications for court interpreters in a bid to assess the existing status of the language services provision available within the UK’s justice system and to ensure it meets the projected needs of those who use the services.
In November 2021, Baroness Coussins, pushed to legislate for minimum qualifications for spoken-word interpreters by amending the “Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill”, and while there was much support, some members expressed concerns about the impact this legislation might have upon the justice system and those who require interpretation services.
The proposed amendments required that interpreters, appointed to a court or tribunal, be:
• Registered on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)
• Possess a Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting or comply with NRPSI Rare Language Status protocols
• Have completed the requisite number of hours’ experience of court interpreting according to the complexity of a case, as agreed by the Secretary of State and professional bodies.
Lord Keith Stewart of Dirleton, initially proposed that the motion be withdrawn until a “full and objective assessment” was completed as it was impossible to tell what impact this might have on the overall justice system.
However, when the motion was renewed at the start of this year (January 2022), Lord Wolfson of Tredegar ordered a full review of interpreter qualifications.
According to House of Lords records (available online here) Lord Wolfson states that the purpose of the review is to “establish a detailed framework of the standards and qualifications required for all assignments covered by the contracts, with clear explanations and justifications for each.”
He also noted his concern regarding a “one-size-fits-all approach” stating that “even within a court setting, interpreting in a criminal court is quite different from interpreting, for example, in the family jurisdiction…all the options we consider will need to be fully costed in accordance with government policy for large government procurements to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.”
It is proposed that the review could be completed in time for the retendering of MoJ contracts in 2023.
The review is a positive step towards improving provision for interpreting services within the UK’s justice system and should help create a solution which enables protection for both the public and professional interpreters.
More information and guidance regarding interpreters within the UK justice system can be found here.
Alternatively, if you require professional legal interpreting or translation services within the UK, please contact us.
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