Atlanta, June 27, 2023 – The Supreme Court of Georgia has adopted a comprehensive update to the Rules for the Use of Interpreters for Non-English Speaking and Hearing Impaired Persons, which was proposed earlier this year by the Judicial Council of Georgia Standing Committee on Court Interpreters.
The amended rules will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
The standing committee, established in June 2021, replaced the Supreme Court’s Georgia Commission on Interpreters and was tasked with revising and modernizing the rules, which were last updated in 2012. Led by Justice Carla Wong McMillian and City of Suwanee Municipal Court Judge Norman Cuadra, the committee proposed revisions to the substance and format of the rules, including establishing licensing programs and minimum requirements and procedures for qualifying interpreters.
“I commend the committee members for their diligence in ensuring that these amended rules increase access to justice in Georgia, in particular for those who are non-native English speakers or who are deaf or hard of hearing,” Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs said. “The committee’s work is another step in bolstering the professionalism of Georgia’s court interpreting practice.”
Among the more significant and substantive changes, the amended rules designate three categories of licensed interpreters—Master Licensed Legal Interpreter, Licensed Legal Interpreter, and Conditionally Licensed Legal Interpreter. These designations take into account the complexity and gravity of various proceedings and the corresponding requisite skills, creating a framework that courts can use to appoint qualified interpreters from the Interpreter Roster. The rules also allow for a designation for apprentice interpreters and for individuals to act as interpreters in situations in which it would be overly burdensome or impossible to use an interpreter from the Interpreter Roster.
New requirements, including continuing education, necessary for interpreters to maintain their licensing designation are outlined in the amended rules. The rules also clarify the procedures for disciplining interpreters, mirroring those used by the Judicial Council Board of Court Reporting.