Case adjourned due to translation concerns
Yesterday I was in Sandwell Magistrates', my last historic booking. My defendant did not turn up, but I did a statutory declaration for another one and was released; the case was to be proved in absence. So I stayed and told the legal advisor that I wanted to observe the other interpreter.
The ALS linguist had to be authorised to interpret for both of the witnesses, as she had only been booked for the one. To start with, she didn't understand that she was supposed to be sworn first. The witness was only sworn in Polish ('The evidence I shall give' was translated literally as 'dowody, które dam'). She made a number of omissions and was terribly inaccurate though not misleading. She added things, for example, when the question 'how long did the incident last?' was asked and answered as 'I don't know', the ALS interpreter asked the witness 'roughly how long though?'.
After the examination of the first witness I expressed my concerns to the legal advisor and the prosecutor. They had a little think and the magistrates adjourned the hearing due to translation concerns. When the interpreter was telling the court how experienced she was, assuring the court she'd been accurate she was addressing them 'you'!!