An Interpreter In Court
42 Pa.C.S. 4412 — a certified interpreter on request or by the court's own motion
When the presiding judicial officer determines, on request or on their own, that a principal party in interest or a witness has a limited ability to speak or understand English, a certified interpreter is appointed.
When no certified interpreter is available. An otherwise qualified interpreter is appointed if a good faith effort was made to get a certified one and none was reasonably available. Before that appointment the judicial officer states on the record that no certified interpreter is available and that the one appointed is readily able to interpret and has read, understands and agrees to abide by the code of professional conduct for court interpreters.
- Given the length of the proceeding and the number of people with limited English proficiency, an additional interpreter may be appointed.
- An interpreter may also be appointed for an immediate family member of a principal party in interest.
Interpreters for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are covered by separate sections of the same chapter. 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 Pennsylvania attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- 42 Pa.C.S. 4412 — Appointment of interpreter
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.