A Sri Lankan court has directed police authorities to ensure that Chinese nationals brought before the judiciary are accompanied by a suitable language interpreter, following disruptions to court proceedings caused by the absence of translation assistance during the hearing of a Chinese national.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena on Thursday (23) issued a special instruction to the court registrar after a Chinese national, arrested by the Kompannavidiya (Slave Island) Police, was produced before the court on charges of unlawfully possessing 16 foreign cigarettes. The magistrate instructed the registrar to take steps to send a letter to the Inspector General of Police, requesting that all police stations be informed in writing that Chinese nationals arrested and presented before court must be accompanied by the assistance of a language interpreter.
The directive followed difficulties encountered during the hearing when police failed to provide a suitable interpreter to translate the charges for the accused. As a result, the court was unable to proceed with the case in the normal manner, causing delays to the judicial process.
During the proceedings, Magistrate Amarasena questioned the police over the omission, expressing concern about the manner in which Chinese nationals were being brought before the courts. Addressing the officers, he asked whether Chinese nationals were being arrested and then simply produced before the court without the necessary arrangements being made.
The magistrate observed that such oversights not only wasted valuable court time but also created significant practical difficulties in conducting judicial proceedings. He further questioned the police about how they had recorded the suspect’s statement without the assistance of an appropriate interpreter, highlighting concerns over the handling of the investigation prior to the court appearance.
As the proceedings continued, an unexpected solution emerged when another Chinese national who was present in the open court volunteered to provide language interpretation. Acting Magistrate Kingsley Hettiarachchi and attorney Sudarshani Gunaratne also assisted the court in facilitating the proceedings.
After an extended period during which the charge was explained to the accused through interpretation, the Chinese national admitted the offence. Following the guilty plea, Magistrate Amarasena imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000 ( around 6 USD).
The incident prompted the court to take broader administrative action aimed at preventing similar disruptions in future cases involving Chinese nationals. By directing that written instructions be issued through the Inspector General of Police to every police station, the magistrate sought to ensure that language interpretation is available whenever Chinese suspects are arrested and produced before the courts.
The order arose directly from the procedural difficulties encountered during the hearing, with the absence of an interpreter preventing the charges from being properly communicated to the accused. The court’s intervention was intended to address this recurring procedural requirement and to facilitate the efficient conduct of judicial proceedings when dealing with individuals who are unable to understand the language used in court.
