Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language in the criminal justice system

A comprehensive guide to the policies, laws and practice in place regarding interpreting, translation and English as an Additional Language in the criminal justice system.

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As part of the Language Barriers in the Criminal Justice System series, The Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, Victim Support and the Centre for Justice Innovation have produced a guide to the policies, laws and practice in place regarding interpreting, translation and English as an Additional Language in the criminal justice system. It is the first guide to gather together law policy and practice guidance in one place for the whole criminal justice system.

The comprehensive guide covers a wide variety of system users and situations such as police custody, witness services, prisons, professionals. As the tables include legal entitlements, policies and practice guidance it will help practitioners, researchers and policymakers in identifying gaps or ensuring that a service user’s rights are upheld.

This guide was last updated: March 2022

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To download the policy and practice overview please click the ‘download’ button on the right-hand side of this page.

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Copyright and all other intellectual property rights in ‘Language Barriers in the criminal justice system – Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language’ and related materials are owned by The Bell Educational Trust Limited (operating as The Bell Foundation). ‘Language barriers in the criminal justice system – Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language’ and related materials are protected by copyright laws around the world that prevent unauthorised copying, adaption, translation into another language and other uses of them. All such rights are reserved. Anyone may print off and download ‘Language barriers in the criminal justice system – Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language’ and related materials for non-commercial use as long as The Bell Foundation is acknowledged as the source. No part of ‘Language barriers in the criminal justice system – Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language’ or related materials may be modified, adapted, or translated and must not be shared with any third parties. ‘Language barriers in the criminal justice system – Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language’ or related materials may not be reproduced for financial gain or commercial purposes without the proper written agreement of The Bell Foundation. If you print off, copy or download any part of ‘Language barriers in the criminal justice system – Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language’ or related materials in breach of these terms of use, your right to use ‘Language barriers in the criminal justice system – Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language’ and related materials will cease immediately and you must, at our option, return or destroy any copies of the materials you have made.

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The Bell Educational Trust Limited is a charitable company limited by guarantee number 1048465, established on 5 April 1972, and a charity registered with the Charity Commission number 311585.

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  • Support for those who speak English as a second or additional language in the criminal justice system

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