Svea Court has torn down the judgment of Attunda District Court against a teenager suspected of murdering a schoolmate in Märsta. The reason is that the interpretation of the hearing with the convicted was so flawed that the High Court judged that the trial had to be retried.

According to Lotta Hellstrand, the problem of unqualified interpreters in the courts is widespread.

- It happens that hearings are canceled, that people are sent home and that one is allowed to postpone goals one or more days, she says.

- The darkness when it is not detected is certainly frighteningly large. In the courts you will not be given any training whatsoever in discovering a bad interpreter when you do not understand the language yourself.

Formal competence

Being vigilant about the length of the statements is an important way of detecting flawed interpretation, according to Hellstrand - for example, if the interrogator makes a long interpretation which is translated by the interpreter in short.

-There may be an explanation, such as many fill words and restarts, but there is still reason to be suspicious. If the interpreter does not interpret in the form of a self, it is also a sign that she or he is uneducated, she says.

- The very best way is to ensure good interpretation is to ensure that the interpreter has formal competence.

To become an authorized interpreter, no special training is required, but you must pass the Chamber College's authorization test. You can then undergo a trial court trial to become a court interpreter.

- According to a change in the 2013 court case, authorized interpreters should be hired for suspected criminals if possible, says Hellstrand.

Better adaptation

Despite the change, courts often experience a shortage of authorized interpreters, and the interpreters, in turn, experience a shortage of work. According to Hellstrand, this is due to poor coordination.

- I do not know how many times I have received calls from the district court when, for example, they asked if I can come to the detention hearing the next day at 11 o'clock.

- It is clear from the preliminary work to the amendment to the Rules of Procedure: the court must not refrain from employing an authorized interpreter at every delay. You have to become much better at adapting.