Lost in translation: many court interpreters fail test

THANKS you for your coverage of proceedings in Cork District Court where the judge asked two Polish interpreters to define the word ‘ambiguity’ and they were unable to do so (October 12).

Anyone who appears in court on a criminal charge and who does not understand the language of the court has the right to an interpreter.

Unfortunately, the levels of competence required of court interpreters in this country are far too low. As a result, we believe that many interpreters working in the courts do not have enough competence in English and the other relevant language or indeed adequate interpreting skills to be able to interpret everything that is said accurately.