Court Services provides visual language interpreters for every type of court proceeding in British Columbia, criminal and civil.
Visual language interpreters include sign language interpreters, deaf interpreters and real-time captioners. Communication access realtime translation, also known as CART, provides a deaf or hard of hearing consumer with words for spoken speech. Captioning, similar to CART, ensures proceedings of the court are inclusive to the deaf, late-deafened and hard of hearing.
You should contact the interpreter clerk at your local court registry as soon as possible with your request, to ensure an appropriate interpreter can be secured.
If you have to go to court as a party to a court proceeding and you need help with the English language, the court will provide you with an interpreter in the following situations:
The interpreter will be with you throughout the court hearings to interpret for you, so that you will understand what is going on in court and the judge and other participants will understand your testimony.
To ensure an appropriate interpreter can be secured, you should contact the interpreter clerk at your local court registry as soon as possible with your request, to ensure an appropriate interpreter can be secured. If an interpreter is not arranged in time, the judge may have to reschedule your case.
You must provide your own interpreter for any other court related activities not listed above.
Agencies that can assist you in finding an interpreter can be found in the yellow pages of your local phone book under Translators and Interpreters. You may also want to consider contacting MOSAIC or the Society of Translators and Interpreters of BC for assistance.
Additional Resources
Society of Translators & Interpreters of BC |
MOSAIC |
MultiLingoLegal.ca |
Vancouver, BC Tel: 604 684-2940 |
Vancouver, BC Tel: 604 254-9626 |
A site where people may find legal information and community resources in their own languages. |
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