XN000022-1995-01-18 — Page 46

(d)

30 -

whether the Government will review the remuneration system of part- time court interpreters shortly so as to attract suitable people to take up the job, thus ensuring that the normal operation of the court is not affected?

Reply:

Mr President,

The Judiciary engages part-time interpreters in cases where interpretation service cannot be provided by the full-time Court Interpreters. These are mostly cases involving foreign languages (other than English and Cantonese) or involving dialects not commonly spoken in Hong Kong. When interpretation is required for a foreign language or a dialect which is rarely spoken in Hong Kong, particularly when a trial is complex and involves technical subjects, the Judiciary has occasionally encountered difficulties in finding suitable interpreters. This is usually due to the scarcity of persons fluent in both English and the foreign language or dialect concerned. Many of these freelance interpreters have their own regular work and cannot spare the time to do the court interpretation at the specified time. The level of remuneration is not usually the problem, but where it appears to be a significant inhibiting factor in a particular case, the Judiciary Administrator may exercise her discretion to authorise a higher rate.

In the particular case referred to in the question, interpretation of the Wenzhou dialect was required. There were three freelance interpreters on the Judiciary's register at the time. However, one of them was away from Hong Kong at the time of the trial, and another declined to do the court interpretation for this case because he knew some of the people involved in it. The remaining interpreter was engaged by the Judiciary, but was objected to by the defence on the first day of the trial. The case, therefore, had to be adjourned. Another interpreter was subsequently engaged through a private sector agency.

The specific information requested in parts (a) to (d) of the question is as follows -:

(a)

In the last financial year, the total number of times that part-time interpreters were engaged by the Judiciary was 9,402, involving a total of 24,700 man-hours of work.