Alberta court interpreter system lacks standards, thousands of cases at risk
Disclosure documents show courts and government knew about unqualified interpreters but took no action; one Edmonton man's conviction has already been overturned.
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Hundreds or thousands of people facing criminal charges in Alberta may have received unfair trials due to inadequate language translation services, lawyers say, citing recently disclosed government and court documents that show the problem has been known for years without action.
An Edmonton judge is currently hearing arguments in the case of Ramjit Sandhu, who was convicted of sexual assault this year. An earlier guilty verdict was thrown out over "seriously inadequate" translation by the Punjabi language interpreter appointed to the case. His lawyer, Kristofer Advent, obtained internal court documents showing both courts and government were aware of systemic issues.
A 2021 review committee report stated "the hiring of unqualified interpreters is an issue" and not "isolated incident(s)." The report cautioned that "this type of situation may lead to unnecessary adjournments, appeals and new trials" — language the committee used to describe what Advent calls "wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice." The committee ultimately made no recommendations, unable to reach consensus on government involvement in funding, training and accreditation.
Alberta receives around 5,000 requests annually for interpretation services across all three levels of court. Yet a 2024 MNP report commissioned by Alberta's Ministry of Justice found the province has "no formal process for verifying interpreter credentials," no standardized training requirements, no centralized database of qualified interpreters and no complaints system. Some interpreters are members of professional groups maintaining standards, but membership is not mandatory.
The MNP review noted that "many interpreters are either not proficient in the languages they claim to speak or lack the necessary skills for court interpretation." Judges interviewed indicated cases have been derailed and the system slowed by these issues. While some provinces maintain centralized certification systems, Alberta's "wide regional variations" leave the system fragmented.
Section 14 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees anyone accused of a crime has a right to language interpretation — a right established since 1960. Advent said defence lawyers have long traded stories about inaccurate courtroom translation, but the defence bar and public were never informed that courts and government acknowledged the systemic nature of the problem.
How many wrongful convictions or mistrials has Alberta identified as resulting from interpreter error?
Why did the 2021 review committee decline to make recommendations despite acknowledging the scope of the problem?
What specific changes, if any, has the Ministry of Justice implemented since the 2024 MNP report?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many interpretation requests does Alberta receive annually across its courts?
Alberta receives around 5,000 requests annually for interpretation services across all three levels of court.
What major gaps did the 2024 MNP report identify in Alberta's interpreter system?
The 2024 MNP report found Alberta has no formal process for verifying interpreter credentials, no standardized training requirements, no centralized database of qualified interpreters, and no complaints system.
What did a 2021 review committee report say about unqualified interpreters in Alberta courts?
A 2021 review committee report stated that 'the hiring of unqualified interpreters is an issue' and not 'isolated incident(s),' and cautioned that such situations may lead to unnecessary adjournments, appeals and new trials.
