Title
Title
Language Access: Requesting Interpreters (Civil) (Action Required)
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Summary
Summary
The Court Interpreters Advisory Panel (CIAP) recommended adopting a new rule requiring courts to publish procedures for filing, processing, and responding to requests for interpreters in civil actions. CIAP also recommended adopting a new form to track and help facilitate requests for interpreters in civil actions and recommended that the form be approved as a model form effective July 1, 2016, and, without further action by the Judicial Council, as an optional form effective January 1, 2018. This proposal will benefit limited-English-proficiency (LEP) court users and the courts that serve them by helping to establish structure for an expanding area of language access.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Court Interpreters Advisory Panel recommended the Judicial Council:
1. Adopt rule 2.895 of the California Rules of Court to establish requirements for courts including the need to publish their procedures, and track requests for interpreters. The rule also establishes a requirement that the attorney of a represented party bears the responsibility of informing the court if an LEP court user who has requested an interpreter will not be in court, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses. The effective date for the rule is July 1, 2016.
2. Approve Form INT-300, Request for Interpreter (Civil), to be published as a model form available immediately through December 31, 2017. The model form will serve as a sample for courts that are establishing procedures pursuant to Rule 2.895 over the next 20 months while the Strategic Plan for Language Access in the California Courts is in its initial phases of implementation.
3. Adopt Form INT-300, Request for Interpreter (Civil), as an optional form effective January 1, 2018, at which point it will assist with language access by assuring there is a uniform way in which interpreters may be requested across t...
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