In a two-part podcast titled "Justice, but not in my language," the Law Report sheds light on the severe shortage of interpreters in Australian courts.
The first part focuses on the impact of this shortage on Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. The shortage of interpreters is leading to cases being adjourned, people being denied their right to a fair trial, and Indigenous people being overrepresented in the prison system. The podcast also discusses the history of this problem, the legal implications, and the potential solutions.
The podcast delves into the challenges of interpreting Indigenous languages, where direct equivalents for English words are often lacking. Cultural nuances must be understood for accurate translations. To address the issue, the interviewees advocate for increased funding and flexibility in the legal system's use of interpreters.
The second part of the podcast delves into how interpreter shortages impact migrant and refugee Australians within the justice system. Several critical issues are highlighted, such as the scarcity of interpreters, even for well-established languages; the shortage of qualified interpreters; the challenges in verifying interpreter accuracy; delays caused by interpreter shortages; inconsistency among interpreters, even those who are NAATI certified; the poor pay and working conditions for interpreters in Victoria; the lack of familiarity among judges and magistrates with the Recommended National Standards for Working with Interpreters; and the potential for a miscarriage of justice due to the lack of interpreters.
The podcast presents interviews with various individuals, including judicial officers such as Justice Steven Strickland of the Family Court, Justice Melissa Perry of the Federal Court, and his Honour Rolf Driver, a former judge of the Federal Circuit Court. It also includes insights from lawyers, interpreters, and others in the justice system, who all stress the urgent need for action to address the shortage of interpreters.