Capita's court interpreting contract on Twitter
6 Apr 2013
Joe Harvey @joerv007 22h
Stuck at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court because the interpreter turned up late. Doubtful will be home soon :(
5 Apr 2013
Nathan Stevens @nathestevens
1st client 2 hrs late, 2nd client cancelled, 3rd client couldn't get an interpreter - bit of a mare today! #asylum
4 Apr 2013
Katya Ford @KatyaFord
Man spent 30 days in prison not knowing why. #Capita interpreter very late, no consultation with solicitor, didn't understand charges.
Laura Moore @LauraMoore49
No punjabi interps in London so the court one comes frm Derby, 5 hours late and leaves b4 we can see client in cells after hearing #crapita
28 Mar 2013
Zoe Saunders @ZASaunders
Interpreter for my 2pm case still not here #irritated
Yelena @talkrussian_
The number of non-fulfilled interpreter requests for tribunals has increased from 115 in Aug '12 to 591 in Jan '2013 http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/mojstats/language-stats/language-service-stats-hmcts-jan11-jan12.pdf
27 Mar 2013
Mufassal Musthapha @mufa100
I am in Aylesbury Crown ct for a witness. No interpreter for the defendant so far! Ct staff running around asking me 'are you for the defen'
Finally a capiterp popped in 2.30 and the case adjourned. So not much work for our Capiterp!
had a chat with a ct staff, it was the usual stuffs abt crapita...
he told me that these new terps struggle to understand even a normal conversation let alone the legal jargons...
my witness did not turn up unfortunately and as the clerk was asking me 'as your witness did not turn up is it possible for you to interpret for the defendant' ? and I was trying explain I won't, there he was the capiterp popped up...
I had a chat with capiterp too! He wasn't a happy fella as you can imagine..He is alright..
He said he was in court in the region for a morning job and had a call to come here...That's why he agreed...
I told him you should stop working for Crapita...he said i only take if there are 2 jobs in a day....
me: I am glad the DPP didn't go with crapita
back to the court staff..he said an interpreter travelled all the way from Edinburgh to Aylesbury for a one hour hearing...
that's a whopping 373 mile and over 12.5 hrs of travel time...
the dossier is only tip of an iceberg....the chaos created/being created by Crapita much wider and deeper..."
26 Mar 2013
Geoffrey @Geoffrey_M_B
@TheCriminalBar
News coming to me re a trial collapsing at Isleworth last week due to allegedly inadequate interpreting. Cost £100,000+
Judge not happy. Officer in the case livid. #Grayling still says things improving. True? Only on planet Grayling.
25 Mar 2013
Gordon Hotson @drgoon2001
In the Court cells today 2 Romanians and 1 Russian - ALS can't get any interpreters here today for any of them. Pretty poor show.
it was North Wilts MC. I gather that they were eventually able to sort something out but not until the afternoon.
Yelena @talkrussian_
No Romanian #interpreter in Crawley Magistrates' Court today. The defendant was left in custody. The same court rang Latvian RPSIs direct
Luke Martin @martintandc
In court this morning supporting a #DomesticViolence victim. The hearing is adjourned because the interpreter has called in sick.
Charley @s_charlene
Interpreter fails to attend Lewes CC having rang court to say not coming but no explanation why. HHJ disgusted & orders written explanation
22 Mar 2013
Steve Brint @SteveBrint
2 people in court today need interpreters. They were informed last night that interpreters would be required. They have not been allocated
ALS who now provide interpreters for court now say they cannot get anyone to deal with my custody case today. What a useless system this is
Lindsay Adams @Zadsy
I actually managed to have 3 interpreters yesterday! Not that I needed 3......
actually they were all the right language but what a waste of money!
21 Mar 2013
Marian @legalmam
Another asylum appeal adjourned because it wasn't worthwhile enough for the Swahili interpreter after deducting the cost of travel
19 Mar 2013
Sadiq Khan MP @SadiqKhan
Claims of £ms in savings from ALS/Capita contract can't be verified: MoJ haven't said how much has been spent for interpreters off contract
Astounding as Helen Grant tells the House ALS/Capita contract for court interpreters is delivering: evidence from courts suggests otherwise!
18 Mar 2013
Katya Ford @KatyaFord
London MC calling again, having failed all last week to get an interpreter. Defendant has been brought from prison three times now. #MoJFWA
17 Mar 2013
Andrew_1910 @andrew_1910
@Barsacq court translator pay has been a nightmare. You can spend hrs travelling to court and back but they only pay court time, often 1hr
15 Mar 2013
Greg Foxsmith @GregFoxsmith
Two clients in custody, case listed 10am, told the interpreter "should be here by 2pm". #HighburyCourt
