Court Interpreting Services

Court interpreting

Court interpreters for criminal, civil, family and tribunal hearings

A defendant who cannot follow the evidence is not really taking part in their own trial, and a witness whose answers lose their meaning in interpretation is not really giving evidence. Court interpreting is essential whenever a defendant, a witness or another important participant does not speak English well enough to follow the proceedings, and it is one of the most demanding jobs an interpreter does.

Our court interpreters cover all languages and dialects. They attend hearings in every region, they have good experience of legal proceedings, and they are always professional, confident and impartial. They are available for both short and long cases throughout the UK and across the world.

What a court interpreter does

Before the hearing, the interpreter takes an oath or affirms that they will interpret truly and faithfully. While others are speaking, they interpret simultaneously, in a low voice, to the defendant, so the defendant hears everything said in court as it is said. When the defendant or a witness gives evidence, they switch to consecutive interpreting, so the court hears every question and every answer in English.

They interpret everything, including what is rude, confused or damaging to the person's own case, and they do not tidy it up. If they have not heard something, or a word has no exact equivalent, they tell the court rather than guess.

Impartial, and bound by professional ethics

Our interpreters know and follow professional ethical standards, maintaining high standards of personal and professional conduct to support public confidence in the administration of justice. In court that means impartiality above all. The interpreter's duty is to the court, whoever booked them. They do not give advice, offer opinions or discuss the case privately with a defendant or a witness, and they say at once if they realise they know anyone involved.

Courts and tribunals we cover

• Magistrates' courts
• The Crown Court
• The County Court and High Court
• The Family Court
• Coroners' courts and inquests
• Employment tribunals
• Immigration and asylum tribunals
• Sheriff courts in Scotland

We cover them in every part of the UK. To see which courts and tribunals sit in or near your town, and where its hearings go, find it on our interpreters near you page.

Who books the court interpreter

In criminal cases, the court normally arranges the interpreter for a defendant or witness who needs one, and the same is true in most tribunals. In civil and family cases it depends on the case: sometimes the court arranges an interpreter, and sometimes a party has to. Defence solicitors book their own interpreters for conferences and prison visits; our legal sector page covers that work. If you are booking for a hearing, give us the court, the case number if you have it, the time estimate and the names of the people involved.

Short hearings and long trials

A first appearance can be over in ten minutes; a trial can run for weeks. For a long trial, tell us the time estimate when you book, so the same interpreter can be kept for the whole case. Whispered simultaneous interpreting is exhausting to keep up for hours at a time, so on long or multi-handed cases two interpreters may be needed, taking turns.

More than one language in the same case

Some cases need interpreters for more than one language pair, for example when defendants or witnesses speak different languages. Each person who needs an interpreter should have their own. Where no interpreter exists for a rare language and English, the court may agree to relay interpreting through a second language the person speaks well, such as French for a Lingala speaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Remote hearings

Many hearings now take place wholly or partly by video, and interpreters can join remotely when the judge agrees. It works well for short procedural hearings. For a trial, or anywhere evidence is given, an interpreter in the room is still better. See video interpreting.

Qualified court interpreters

Almost all our interpreters are court-qualified and DBS-checked, and they are NRPSI-registered, DPSI-qualified professionals. Court work comes in every language, including Romanian, Polish, Albanian, Arabic, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Urdu, Vietnamese and Tigrinya. Police forces and investigators should see our police interpreters page.

Questions about court interpreting

Can a family member interpret in court?

No. The court needs an independent, qualified interpreter. A relative is not impartial, and their interpretation could be challenged.

Can the interpreter explain the proceedings to me?

No. The interpreter interprets what is said. Questions about your case are for your solicitor or barrister, and the interpreter will interpret those conversations when they are booked for them.

Do you cover hearings outside England?

Yes. Our court interpreters work throughout the UK, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and across the world.