Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Courts Need Experts in Sign Language
Saudi lawyers and judges are underlining the need to have qualified sign-language experts well-versed in Saudi law to help judges in criminal cases involving deaf people.
According to the Saudi legal system, defendants have the right to be informed of proceedings in a language that they understand and are eligible to an have interpreter if they cannot understand Arabic. Since most judges do not know sign language, sign-language interpreters are a must to ensure deaf defendants are completely aware of proceedings.
According to Al-Watan newspaper, there are currently 20 deaf defendants charged various crimes, some warranting the death penalty, whose cases have been indefinitely suspended because there are no sign-language interpreters that are qualified enough to interpret legal proceedings.
The newspaper reported that many sign-language interpreters, who are unaware of Saudi law, are unwilling to interpret proceedings fearing they may convey proceedings incorrectly resulting in defendants being unfairly punished.
Lawyer Abdul Aziz Al-Qasim said that having trained sign-language interpreters who know Saudi law would hasten court proceedings involving the deaf. “Deaf people would also end up enjoying a fair trial. Like all citizens, the deaf must be able to enjoy the same privileges in court and not be made to feel that they are in anyway being prejudiced against by the judiciary,” he said.
Adnan Al-Saleh, another Saudi lawyer, said that there is a deficiency in the number of judges in the Kingdom. He added that there are only four judges for every 100,000 people. “The focus should be on increasing the number of judges,” he said, adding that having legal staff that know sign language would be better than making judges learn sign language. “Deaf people commit few crimes. There are only 10,000 deaf people in the entire Kingdom,” he added.
Saudi lawyers and judges are underlining the need to have qualified sign-language experts well-versed in Saudi law to help judges in criminal cases involving deaf people.
According to the Saudi legal system, defendants have the right to be informed of proceedings in a language that they understand and are eligible to an have interpreter if they cannot understand Arabic. Since most judges do not know sign language, sign-language interpreters are a must to ensure deaf defendants are completely aware of proceedings.
According to Al-Watan newspaper, there are currently 20 deaf defendants charged various crimes, some warranting the death penalty, whose cases have been indefinitely suspended because there are no sign-language interpreters that are qualified enough to interpret legal proceedings.
The newspaper reported that many sign-language interpreters, who are unaware of Saudi law, are unwilling to interpret proceedings fearing they may convey proceedings incorrectly resulting in defendants being unfairly punished.
Lawyer Abdul Aziz Al-Qasim said that having trained sign-language interpreters who know Saudi law would hasten court proceedings involving the deaf. “Deaf people would also end up enjoying a fair trial. Like all citizens, the deaf must be able to enjoy the same privileges in court and not be made to feel that they are in anyway being prejudiced against by the judiciary,” he said.
Adnan Al-Saleh, another Saudi lawyer, said that there is a deficiency in the number of judges in the Kingdom. He added that there are only four judges for every 100,000 people. “The focus should be on increasing the number of judges,” he said, adding that having legal staff that know sign language would be better than making judges learn sign language. “Deaf people commit few crimes. There are only 10,000 deaf people in the entire Kingdom,” he added.