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RTÉ Finds Interpreter in Overturned FGM Case Worked on at Least 246 Other Court Cases

The revelation intensifies scrutiny of Ireland's unregulated system for courtroom interpreting.

Overview

  • The Courts Service told RTÉ the interpreter worked on at least 246 cases nationwide between December 2016 and late December 2023.
  • Despite the 2021 appeal ruling, the interpreter continued to be used through December 2023, including at least 40 cases across 19 locations.
  • Those assignments included 146 District Court, 62 Circuit Court and 26 High Court cases, many in the Central Criminal Court.
  • The Court of Appeal found “serious, and potentially far-reaching” translation errors at the 2019 trial and quashed the couple’s convictions.
  • Ireland keeps no central register of legal interpreters, the Courts Service holds no database of individuals, and the couple’s bid for a miscarriage-of-justice certificate is listed for hearing on 22–23 January 2026.