Cymdeithas Cyfiethwyr Cymru / Association of Welsh translators and interpreters (ITS0078)

Professor Braun refers to interpreters “whispering in the ear of defendants”, sometimes “talking across others in the court” and she mention how this is distracting, time consuming and information is “literally lost in translation”. 

This happens because all/most courts in England are not set up and equipped for simultaneous interpretation, but instead depend upon consecutive interpretation.

The situation in Wales in completely different in respect of interpreting from/to Welsh. 

Here all new courts have inbuilt translation booths and provide headsets so that everyone that needs translation can access it. In older courts portable equipment is used. As the translation is simultaneous it takes no longer and removes the need for sotto voce whispering and more importantly interprets every word spoken rather than providing a precis. 

This system works across civil and criminal courts, magistrates and family courts and has also been used for Judicial Reviews. HHJ Mererid Edwards, Circuit Judge, Family & Court of Protection is the Welsh Language Liaison Judge who chairs a specific coordination committee for Welsh language interpretation.

The Committee’s question regarding “… the state of courts in terms of technology…” was answered by Professor Richard Susskind and he mentioned “smaller jurisdictions. He failed to mention that court buildings in Wales are being designed with simultaneous translation booths built in. However the point does stand in respect of older buildings.

Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru is the trade association that represents translators and interpreters that work between Welsh and English. We have a specialist panel of experienced interpreters that provide Welsh to/from English interpretation within the HM Courts and Tribunal Service. Interpreters are booked directly for HMCTS by their Welsh language Unit based in Caernarfon.

28 November 2024