Attorney General - Judges or Magistrates could potentially take action against interpreters
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Below is the advice given by ALS regarding Professional Indemnity Insurance:
Q: Are translators ever sued?
A: I have heard about translators being threatened to be sued, but I personally know of no instance of a company actually suing a translator. Readers who know otherwise might do me the favor of filling me in on the details. Based on what I have heard from attorneys, employment experts, and translation agencies, suing a translator just isn't worth the time and money.
Q: Should translators have professional liability insurance?
A: This doesn't seem useful at this point. The insurance itself is unlikely to cover you when you need it, and the fact you have coverage could make you more attractive target for a lawsuit. An effective policy to have with clients is that you will provide "good-faith, best effort" translations. Then as long as you do so, you shouldn't need liability insurance.
Below is the advice given by the NRPSI regarding Professional Indemnity Insurance:
We are now living in a society in which consumers (whether clients/companies or individuals) expect high quality goods and services. As a result, they will not hesitate to pursue a claim if they feel that they have been harmed as a result of poor interpreting. This means that the need for professional indemnity insurance has never been greater.
What is professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity insurance can help in any legal action launched by a customer.
How do I obtain professional indemnity insurance?
As with any insurance policy, you will need to shop around the various insurance companies/brokers and satisfy yourself that you are receiving the appropriate cover for your circumstances.
Below is an extract of a letter written by the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, which indicates that Judges or Magistrates could potentially take action against interpreters that break the oath:
[…]”in cases of individual contempt, in which an interpreter failed to interpret either fully or accurately and therefore broke the oath to ”well and faithfully interpret and true explanation make”. Such a failure could potentially amount to a contempt of court which would be addressed summarily by the Presiding Judge or magistrate”
Now make your own mind up regarding the advice from ALS.
If you come to the same conclusion as me, the only responsible thing to do is to forward this to all unqualified interpreters that you know are working for ALS, and to all court officials.