Risks of not using qualified interpreters
and translators

Danger Ahead! There are inherent risks in not using qualified practitioners for interpreting and translation work. The below reports, mainly from the mainstream media, illustrate some of the ways in which things can go wrong.

Pilbara man wins appeal against assault conviction after Karratha magistrate denied him interpreter (8 Sep 2023)

Pilbara man wins appeal against conviction after magistrate denied him... more

Can patients use family members as non-professional interpreters in consultations? (11 Feb 2020)

The British Medical Journal asks whether patients can use family members as non-professional interpreters... more

Traps for bilingual solicitors: Working with culturally and linguistically diverse clients (23 Apr 2019)

Jen McMillan, writing in the  Law Society Journal, explains the dangers for bilingual lawyers when they seek to act as interpreters and/or translators... more

Translators were ‘not qualified’ for police interview work (14 Jan 2019)

Unqualified police interpreters have cost the public thousands of pounds by causing court delays and in one instance the collapse of a case, the BBC has... more

Gene Gibson freed as conviction for Broome manslaughter of Josh Warneke quashed (12 Apr 2017)

An Aboriginal man with cognitive impairment has walked free from jail after almost five years behind bars, with WA’s highest court overturning his... more

Critical case analysis of adverse events associated with failure to use interpreters for non-English speaking patients (22 Nov 2016)

ANU: Critical case analysis of adverse events associated with failure to use interpreters for non-English speaking... more

Improving Patient Outcomes for our Non-English Speaking Community and the Hearing Impaired – When Do You Need to Use an Interpreter in Providing Health Services? (28 Sep 2016)

The requirement for clinicians to adequately communicate with their patients is well established for a number of reasons,... more

State v. Cazarez-Hernandez (17 Aug 2016)

In the case of State v. Casarez-Hernandez, 280 Or App 312 (2016) (De Muniz, S.J.), the court concludes that the state failed to meet its burden... more

Chinese tourist mistaken for asylum seeker in Germany after losing wallet (9 Aug 2016)

Lost in translation: Chinese tourist mistaken for asylum seeker in Germany (ABC... more

Calls for family violence interpreters to receive training (28 Nov 2015)

Migrant advocates are calling for specialised training of interpreters for family violence victims as cases emerge of those who fail to... more

Report on Operation Aviemore: Major Crime Squad Investigation into the Unlawful Killing of Mr Joshua Warneke (5 Nov 2015)

Western Australian police officers have often failed to comply with the Criminal Investigation Act 2006 (CI Act) and their own Police... more

WA Chief Justice Wayne Martin fears language barriers putting innocent people behind bars (27 Sep 2015)

Woman calling for inquest into son’s death fears man who confessed to murder without interpreter present is... more

POLICE v PITHANG [2015] SASC 88 (16 Jun 2015)

In the case of Police v Pithang SASC 88 (11 June 2015) an accused man walked free after police prosecutors failed to find an... more

Five police officers stood aside over conduct while investigating death of Broome man Joshua Warneke (30 May 2015)

The suspect was denied basic legal rights such as the use of an interpreter, and thus his admissions to police were not... more

Failure to use an interpreter (April 2010)

Sara Bird’s case study in the Australian Family Physician Vol. 39, no. 4, April 2010 outlines the potential legal... more

Risks of not using qualified interpreters
and translators

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Details of interpreter and court interpreting assignment

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Risks of not using qualified interpreters and translators

Submission form

Details of interpreter and court interpreting assignment

Your interpreting assignment experience

Thank you for taking the time to report your experience. It will assist us in advocating for interpreters to be treated as the skilled and experienced professionals that we are. Your feedback is welcome.

Share This

Risks of not using qualified interpreters
and translators