FTI’s policy officer speaks at inaugural EULITA conference

Fair Trials International’s Policy Officer, Catherine Heard, was invited to give a talk on the right to translation and interpretation for criminal defendants and suspects, at the inaugural conference of the European Legal Interpreters and Translators Association (EULITA). The conference, titled ‘Aspects of Legal Interpreting and Translation’, was held at Lessius University in Antwerp between 26 and 28 November 2009.

Catherine’s presentation covered recent developments paving the way to a new EU Directive guaranteeing the right to translation and interpretation for criminal suspects and defendants across the Union. To highlight the importance of guaranteeing such rights, Catherine then discussed three of FTI’s cases in which lack of access to translation and interpretation led to significant injustices and unnecessary risks to defendants.

A transcript of the presentation can be downloaded below.