Jane Straker – Interpreter – Written evidence (ITS0074)

HOUSE OF LORDS INQUIRY INTO INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATION SERVICES IN COURTS

Submission from a Public Service Interpreter for English & Welsh Courts since 1990, former University Lecturer in Interpreting University of Salford, Interpreter-Trainer for CIoL Diploma in Public Service interpreting.

Having worked in both the academic and practical aspects of interpreting in England and Wales for 35 years, I feel a stakeholder in matters of interpreting, most especially in areas of quality, ethics and equity in Public Services.  My relevance to the Inquiry is both professional and personal. I have no financial or business interests in furthering  the commercial sphere of language activity

I have read carefully the ATC report of 2023, and the questionnaire. The Report attempts to narrow down the multiple issues which cause problems for the Language Industry Sector as well as the Criminal and Civil Courts. I think that the questions asked almost pre-empt the answers. Therefore I wish to inform the Committee of a sincerely held belief justice is not served by eliminating human actors from courts where judges, barristers and jury members try to be just. Accuracy and impartiality are foundation stones for any interpreter, no less than other English speakers involved Court matters.

The Inquiry recognizes the importance of “procurement”. It is correct to assume that at present, (as does the ATC Report), that Courts are struggling. Things have got worse since privatisation. I worked for many years for HMCTS, attended HoC Public Accounts Committee enquiries into the consequences of assuming that Courts & Tribunals could work better if a businessperson, with no knowledge of the interpreting profession or the Courts Service were to take charge. We know that Large Language Models exist, but AI Ethics do not yet obey small natural language models or human varieties & quirkyness.

30 September 2024