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NEWS UPDATE
A CALL FOR HELP TO ALL PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETERS
Firstly, thank you for your on-going support in the battle to
get the Framework Agreementand the contract with Applied Language
Solutions/Capita scrapped. The next two weeks arecritical in our
campaign as two important inquiries reach a climax and we redouble
our effortsin achieving national media coverage.
Heres how you can help1. We need you to contact your local BBC
radio station and if possible the local paper in
your area and tell them about whats gone on and (if possible)
give your own localinformation. Below you will find a script to
help you. You can also refer them toInvolvis see below for details.
If theres a local solicitor or Barristeryou know who isangry about
whats going on then get them active on this too.
2. We need you to continue to report incidences of ALS
interpreters disrupting trials by
appearing late or not at all, or by not being competent. It is
important you get the dateand the case number or name and tell us
which court this happened at.
Twitter #dontforgetyourtoothbrush
Tweet your news and use the hashtags #dontforgetyourtoothbrush
and#deathtotheMOJFWA to refer to the inquiries.Also follow
@United4Justice (Interpreters for Justice)for updates on the
campaign.
A guide to your conversation with BBC radio or local papers
There are two House of Commons inquiries reaching a head in the
next two weeks and
theres evidence here locally to make this newsworthy in our
area.
1. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee is holding a
public meeting on
Monday 15th October about the shocking failings uncovered by the
National Audit
Office into the way interpreters are being supplied in
courts.
2. This affectsjustice because witnesses and defendants who dont
speak English as
their first language need a professional interpreter to
accurately interpret so they can
fully understand and take part.
3. The Justice Select Committee is also holding a public hearing
on 23
rd
October whererepresentatives from interpreters organisations
have been asked to give evidence.
4. The interpreters being supplied to courts are booked by a
company called Applied
Language Solutions who won a Ministry of Justice Contract worth
millions but they
are failing miserably.
5. Interpreters supplied by ALS are not suitably qualified or
experienced for court work.
Professional interpreters wont work for them because the
Government set up a new
agreement in the wrong way and they will not listen to whats
gone wrong.
6. Many ALS interpreters dont appear on time if at all and they
often dont understand
whats going on themselves. Its wasting tax payers money because
trials are
delayed but more importantly these people arent getting a fair
trial which is their
right. Some are remanded on bail time and time again because of
no interpreter.
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7. I am a professional interpreter and I have refused to work
for Applied Language
Solutions as have 90% of the professionally qualified
interpreters who previously
worked in courts under the old system. Theres independent
evidence to verify this.
8. I can give you local examples and tell you my experience of
whats gone on
[mention your local court and give any local examples you
have].
9. I can arrange other people for you to interview as well.10.
The Chairman of the Association of Police and Court Interpreters,
Geoffrey
Buckingham, will be giving evidence at the National Audit Office
inquiry and will do
radio interviews. Telephone 07973 759676.
11. Guillermo Makin, Chairman of the Society for Public Service
Interpreters, will also do
interviews. Telephone 07951 580604.
For further background:
Involvis has been collating evidence of court hearings gone
wrong under the contract and
can send you a press release or some more background and can
answer any questions.
You can contact Penny Arbuthnot at Involvis using the below
details:
[email protected]/ 01473 326341 / 07885 238374
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
