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--- Document: Interpreter Services Document ---
The Role of the
Court Interpreter
in the New Jersey
Judiciary
June 2016
CN - 11486-English
New Jersey Judiciary
Administrative Office of the Courts
Stuart Rabner
Chief Justice
Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D.
Acting Administrative Director of the Courts
Shelley R. Webster
Director, Office of Management and
Administrative Services
The New Jersey Judiciary
provides court interpreting
services in many different
languages.
How Do I Request an
Interpreter?
If you are representing yourself and need a
court interpreter, inform court staff as soon as
possible. If your case is in Municipal Court,
call the phone number found on the traffic
ticket or court notice. If your case is in
Superior Court, contact information is
available at njcourts.com. Select “Interpreting
Services” from the column on the left side of
the page.
If you are represented, inform your lawyer if
you need a court interpreter before your court
date. Also inform your lawyer if you have any
material that needs to be translated.
You must have any document you plan to
submit to the court translated prior to coming
into court.
Cancelling an Interpreter
It is your responsibility to notify the court if
your case is resolved, cancelled or
rescheduled. If you do not notify the court of
a resolution, cancellation or rescheduling of an
event, or if you do not attend a scheduled
proceeding, you might be ordered to pay any
fees the court paid for the cost of the
interpreter.
Where Can I Go For
Additional Information
About the Courts?
Go to njcourts.com for more information
about the New Jersey courts.
Do You Need a
Court Interpreter?
The New Jersey Judiciary provides court
interpreting services in many different
languages. If you need an interpreter, notify
the court or your lawyer as soon as possible.
What the Court
Interpreter Will Do
The court interpreter will need to hear you
speak in your native language and can ask you
questions, such as where you are from or if
you have ever used an interpreter before.
During a court proceeding, the court
interpreter will help you to communicate with
persons in the courtroom, including your
lawyer, court staff, and the judge.
The court interpreter will interpret everything
you say into English.
The court interpreter will interpret everything
said in court into your native language.
The court interpreter will interpret everything
that is said, without adding, omitting, or
changing anything.
The court interpreter is bound by rules of
confidentiality and will not repeat to anyone
what you say privately to your lawyer.
What the Court
Interpreter Cannot Do
The court interpreter cannot give you legal or
any other advice.
The court interpreter cannot talk to you about
your case.
The court interpreter cannot explain what
words mean or what is happening in court.
The court interpreter cannot answer questions
about what will happen in court.
The court interpreter cannot have private
conversations with you or your family.
The court interpreter cannot wait until you feel
you need interpretation. If you don’t use the
interpreter’s services at all times, the
interpreter might be excused from the
proceeding.
How to Work with the
Court Interpreter
You can always ask an interpreter to repeat
what he or she has said, to speak louder, or to
speak slower.
Speak directly to the person asking the
question, not to the court interpreter.
Speak only in your native language.
Wait for the interpreter to finish speaking
before you speak.
Respond to the court interpreter’s hand signals
to slow down or to stop talking so that he or
she can interpret what you said.
Focus on the court interpreter, even if you
understand some English.
Speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
Remember to pause when your answers are
long.
What if I Don’t
Understand the Court
Interpreter?
Tell your lawyer or the judge if you don’t
understand the interpretation.
What if I Don’t
Understand Something?
If you have questions, ask your lawyer or
the judge or court staff; not the
interpreter. The court interpreter will
interpret your questions so that others can
answer them.