Section 68560 Of Article 4. Court Interpreter Services From California Government Code >> Title 8. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 4.
68560
. The Legislature finds and declares that:
(a) Resolution Chapter 179 of the Statutes of 1973 requested the
Judicial Council of California to undertake a comprehensive survey of
the language needs of California citizens and residents in relation
to the judicial process.
(b) The Judicial Council performed this undertaking with the aid
and assistance of a special advisory committee appointed by the Chief
Justice of California and significant work was done by a private
consultant under contract to the Judicial Council.
(c) During 1976 and 1977, the Judicial Council submitted to the
Legislature a series of detailed reports identifying specific
language needs of California citizens and residents, describing
language services that had been provided by California's justice
system, indicating special problem areas in need of solution, and
setting forth specific objectives to be achieved by providing
adequate interpreter services to non-English-speaking citizens and
residents in California. These reports resulted in adoption of this
article by Chapter 158 of the Statutes of 1978.
(d) In 1990 the Chief Justice of California appointed the Judicial
Council Advisory Committee on Court Interpreters to propose actions
to the Judicial Council to (1) improve the quality of interpreter
services provided to courts, (2) increase the number of available,
qualified court interpreters, and (3) provide non-English-speaking
persons with increased access to the court system. At the request of
the advisory committee, the Judicial Council proposed to the
Legislature changes in this article to clarify the law, to create a
program to certify court interpreters, and to coordinate programs for
interpreter recruiting, training, testing, certification, and
continuing education and evaluation.
(e) The Legislature recognizes that the number of
non-English-speaking persons in California is increasing, and
recognizes the need to provide equal justice under the law to all
California citizens and residents and to provide for their special
needs in their relations with the judicial and administrative law
system.
(f) Competent interpreter services in the courts and judicial and
administrative agencies should be provided through programs to
recruit, train, test, certify, and evaluate interpreters. Continuing
education and evaluation would also help ensure adequate interpreter
services to the courts.
(g) To plan, monitor, and coordinate interpreter services,
reliable and uniform data are needed on the continuing use of and
need for interpreters in the courts.