Further court delays due to interpreters
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billryan1955 · July 9, 2013 - 12:27 pm
St Albans Crown Court 8 July T20130361
Romanian interpreter booked for two courts at same time. This was a PVL case with the normal 15 minute slots. The slot was missed and the court stood idle for at least 20 minutes.
When the interpreter became available for my case some 45 minutes after the slot was due to start the delay getting in to court was over 50 minutes. At this time the court list was very busy and following the delay the judge refused to hear the sentence until the next day.
So interpreter required for next day and court time lost plus next days list busier than it should be.
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Matthew Jewell · July 5, 2013 - 5:41 pm
Portsmouth Crown Court 11th March 2013
Trial of three young Arabic speaking defendants listed at 1030.Trial had been a fixture since December 2012.
Court had booked interpreter well in advance with Capita. None arrived at 1030. At 1130 the court clerk informed us that Capita were ‘still trying to find one’. A defence solicitor in attendance knew of an interpreter in Southampton, and contacted him direct. He was available in the afternoon, and the court arranged for him to do so. He was not a Capita interpreter. The case was eventually heard at about 1500, the court having done nothing all day.
Capita did eventually find an interpreter. They notified the court of this sometime after lunch. The one they had found was in North London. Had they been required, they would not have been at court before 1630 or so.
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Rhys Davies · July 5, 2013 - 12:18 pm
Highbury Corner Magistrates Court today waiting for Arabic speaking interpreter who arrived at 11.35am.
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Ronnie Jaffa · July 4, 2013 - 11:22 pm
R v Qefalia + 1 other
Wood Green Crown Court on 4 July 2013.
Listed 2pm for sentence for rape and kidnapping. Judge to consider dangerousness.
Court notified Capita, 1 month ago, to provide an interpreter for Albanian language. At 1.30 pm no interpreter arrived so informed List office. No information from Capita so the court finds independent interpreter and pays for her to attend court from ‘court funds’. Interpreter arrives at 3.30 pm, after 1 hour journey, but has to leave by 4pm so there was no time to do case which was adjourned to end July. By 4.15pm no explanation from Capita.
Counsel receive payment as follows; Prosecution £46 gross. Defence counsel x2 £0 – also gross.
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Lynn Fanshawe · July 4, 2013 - 4:56 pm
R v Miah – Isleworth Crown Court – 1st July 2013
Listed at 10.30am for committal for sentence.
Defence wrote to the court 10 days earlier to inform of need for Bengali interpreter for the defendant.
At 11.15 we were informed that Capita were ‘still trying to book an interpreter’. At 12 noon we were informed that one would be at court for 2pm.
Interpreter arrived at 2.15pm (booked I believe through a different agency in the end).
The trial behind us was late starting in the morning as a result, and then lost the first 1 1/4 hours approx. of their afternoon when we finally did the sentence. Two counsel, a defendant, and the complainant who had attended to see the sentence had to wait 4 hours to start the hearing.
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olwen davies · July 4, 2013 - 8:14 am
1st July Leicester Mags trial of JK in the afternoon.
The interpreter arrived at 2.20pm . The defendant was bailed to 1.45 for a 2pm start. So yet another trial starts late.
[Copied by RPSI Linguist Lounge with permission from the South Eastern Circuit, http://courtdelays.wordpress.com/]
