Debates of October 14, 2004 (day 20)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Honourable Mr. Charles Dent, the Minister of Justice. In small communities, we have court workers and interpreters. Sometimes these probation officers are used as interpreters at court proceedings. I would like to ask the Minister where are the procedures in terms of allowing these probation workers, court workers to assist clients that have to go to court who have to use an aboriginal language as a means to participate in court proceedings for translating services? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 220-15(3): Procedures for Accessing Court Translation Services

Mr. Speaker, I apologize if I am not answering the right question. I was having difficulty hearing the Member in his question. I believe it’s important to note that everybody is entitled to have a case heard in court in their language and if they need to have an interpreter, one must be provided by the courts. So the judge is the one who has to be satisfied that the quality of the interpretation is good, and it’s up to the person who needs interpreting to make sure that that need is communicated to the court. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 220-15(3): Procedures for Accessing Court Translation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The honourable Minister answered part of the question. I would like to ask the Minister also is there any specific policies within the Department of Justice that allows a probation officer, in case some of their communities don’t have court workers or trained interpreters in the legal system, in the region to assist clients in the court setting to help them in the proceedings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 220-15(3): Procedures for Accessing Court Translation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to honestly say I don’t know whether that’s possible. It would seem a reasonable approach if that person was available and if they could provide the service to the courts, but they may have other job-related duties. I’ll have to look into that and get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 220-15(3): Procedures for Accessing Court Translation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Minister. In some cases because of the technicalities of the legal translation into Slavey languages it’s really important that we have good trained interpreters or translators to do the work on behalf of our people. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would commit to looking into the use of probation officers who work in the field who could help clients in court proceedings where sometimes we don’t have any services in the small communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 220-15(3): Procedures for Accessing Court Translation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my previous answer, I’ll look into that and I will get back to the Member on the issue.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 220-15(3): Procedures for Accessing Court Translation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to ask the Minister of Justice if he would consider looking at alternatives for the communities where sometimes it is not possible to have, in terms of the costing and in terms of the travel, different alternatives to having translation provided in our communities and that he would look at having that done in the communities where a little bit of training could take place for our local interpreters to take and train just in case things don’t work out with the workers that come into our communities to do court proceedings? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 220-15(3): Procedures for Accessing Court Translation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, perhaps I could talk to the Minister of Education about this.

---Laughter

The Department of Justice used to offer a Legal Interpreters Program. In 1995 the program was ended and Aurora College took over offering the certification program. The program was set at one year and part of it included legal interpretation and health interpretation to help make sure that interpreters and translators could deal with the increasingly complex world today that we live in. Unfortunately, over the years the enrollment in that program has declined to such an extent that the college can no longer offer it because they’ve had nobody enrolling in the program. I can certainly discuss with the college perhaps looking at offering the program in one or two regions every once in a while to see whether or not there is some interest, but at this point it’s been a real problem because we haven’t been able to find the interest among people to take the courses in order to offer it. But I will certainly make sure that I have that discussion with the college about rotational delivery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.