An Interpreter In Court
N.J.S.A. 2B:8-1 — each county provides interpreting services for its cases
New Jersey places the duty on the county: each county provides the interpreting services necessary for cases from that county in the Law Division and the Family Part of the Chancery Division.
It is not only about speaking another language. Interpreting services include assisting a developmentally disabled person, and a hearing impaired person, to understand questions and to frame and express answers in a criminal proceeding, provided the person is not otherwise disqualified as a witness.
Who interprets. A county may hire people for the purpose. Interpreters it employs are appointed and perform their duties in the manner the Chief Justice establishes.
Court rules on interpreter certification, scheduling, and the interpreter's code of conduct sit alongside the statute and are not on this page. Whether a particular proceeding was interpreted adequately, and what follows if it was not, are questions for a licensed New Jersey attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- N.J.S.A. 2B:8-1 — Interpreters
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Jersey attorney.