Chartered Institute
of Linguists

Policy & position statements

The National Police Dynamic Purchasing System for Language Services

The webpage for police language services has been launched, providing information relating to the use of interpreters for police assignments as well as contact details. Click here to read.


CIOL Guide to Working with Interpreters remotely for Judges

CIOL recently responded to a direct request for advice from the UK Judiciary.  This was in the form of a short guide for Judges in the UK working with Interpreters remotely especially during the current COVID pandemic.

The advice was compiled by professional Interpreters from CIOL’s Interpreting Division and looked at best practice when working with Interpreters remotely, covering the following areas:

  • Audio-visual factors
  • Language/Communication related aspects
  • Simultaneous interpreting
  • Lawyer-client communication
  • Breaks
  • Process management

In line with its Royal Charter, CIOL will continue to give guidance to Departments of State, Universities and Institutions who engage professional Interpreters, Translators and educators.  CIOL will continue to seek to help, guide and influence both the public and private sectors in the UK and Internationally to encourage the effective study and practice of languages worldwide.


CIOL position on Public Service Interpreting

CIOL welcomes frameworks which recognise the professional status of public service interpreters. We believe their professionalism should always be at the forefront of the selection and delivery of public service language services.

We also believe in fair pay and working conditions for interpreters, as both a right and a necessity - to maintain and nurture a profession on which important public service outcomes depend.

Appropriate standards and qualifications for interpreters protect the public and public services and are essential to assuring justice, health and local government outcomes among other public benefits.

Our Diploma in Public Service Interpreting and Diploma in Police Interpreting were set up to assess and recognise Public Service and Police Interpreters, and they do precisely that; we always welcome their wider recognition and use.

We believe there is value in an independent register of public service interpreters that supports both professional interpreters and the needs of UK public services; this important role is performed by the National Register of Public Service Interpreters NRPSI