In the UK, the integrity of the justice system hinges on clear communication. Yet, a significant crisis looms: the shortage of qualified court interpreters is undermining the very foundation of legal proceedings.
A Deepening Crisis
Recent reports highlight a troubling trend. In 2024, over 5,000 requests for language services in courts went unfulfilled, often without explanation. This lack of transparency obscures the true scale of the issue, as many failures are not officially recorded as complaints. House of Lords Public Services Committee. (2025, September 9). Interpreting services in the courts (Public Services Committee Report). UK Parliament.
The shortage is not just a numbers game; it’s a matter of justice. The House of Lords Public Services Committee has warned that the current interpreting system “poses a significant risk to the administration of justice” Law Gazette. (2025, September 10). Court interpreting system poses significant risk to justice. Their report, Lost in Translation, calls for urgent reforms, including better data collection and improved working conditions for interpreters.
Strikes and Systemic Failures
In response to these systemic issues, court interpreters have taken to strike action. In June and July 2025, interpreters withdrew their services for four days, demanding better pay, improved cancellation policies, and enhanced welfare support. These strikes underscore the deep dissatisfaction within the profession and the urgent need for reform.
The Impact on Justice
The consequences of this crisis are far-reaching. Trials are delayed or adjourned due to the unavailability of interpreters, leading to backlogs and prolonged legal processes. This not only affects the efficiency of the justice system but also compromises the rights of non-English-speaking defendants and witnesses, potentially leading to miscarriages of justice.
The shortage of court interpreters is not a new issue, but recent statistics underscore its growing impact. In 2024, there were 8,958 unfulfilled interpreter requests in UK courts, a significant increase from previous years. Additionally, the number of ineffective trials due to unavailable interpreters rose from 463 in 2023 to 604 in 2024. These figures highlight a concerning trend: the system is increasingly unable to meet the linguistic needs of its users.
Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Justice reported that only 0.7% of trials were delayed due to the lack of an interpreter, suggesting that many cases may proceed without the necessary linguistic support, potentially compromising the fairness of proceedings.
How Translation Services Help
Specialist agencies, such as Translate Hive, play a crucial role in mitigating these challenges. By providing access to NRPSI-registered interpreters and qualified translators across a wide range of languages, they help courts and legal professionals ensure accurate communication when official resources are stretched. Their flexible approach, combining in-person, telephone, and video interpreting, helps bridge gaps in coverage, ensuring that hearings can proceed without compromising fairness or accuracy.
Looking Ahead
The Ministry of Justice has acknowledged the issue and outlined plans for reform, including new contracts and quality assurance measures to be implemented by 2026. However, many in the interpreting community remain sceptical, questioning whether these measures will be sufficient to address the root causes of the crisis. Multilingual. (2025, July 15). UK court interpreters strike highlights systemic failures.
As the legal sector grapples with these challenges, the need for a robust and reliable interpreting system has never been more critical. Without immediate and comprehensive action, the risk to the administration of justice will continue to grow.