Why is the State Courts System of Florida developing a statewide testing program for court interpreters?
Many circuit courts in Florida do not have the resources or expertise to assess the qualifications of court interpreters. The State Courts System, with the assistance of a Court Interpreter Advisory Workgroup (CIAW), is devising a set of strategies to help courts improve court interpreter services throughout Florida. Among those strategies is a program to administer written and oral qualifications examinations on a rotating basis around the state. A registry of court interpreters who have passed these qualifications exams (and who have consented to be included on the list) will be made available to court administrators and interpreter coordinators statewide to help them select the best qualified interpreters.
