I had just started practicing as a lawyer. Got a call from a lawyer up north (and British Columbia is so big that up north is really up north!). Had a deaf youth client charged with a couple dozen minor criminal matters. She could not communicate with him even with an interpreter. Agreed to take the case.
Court appearance date was already set for a Monday a couple of weeks later. Interpreter for the court appearance already booked, etc. That weekend I had a meeting in Ottawa. So made all the arrangements. Would fly in from Ottawa on Sunday and hop right onto a plane to take me “up north”. Made some inquiries and found out who the interpreter would be and that she would be flying with me and staying at the same hotel “up north.”
Weekend meeting in Ottawa and flight back went as planned. Waiting for the plane to take me “up north” I did not see the interpreter at all. Got on – no interpreter. Plane left – no interpreter. Got to the hotel “up north” – still no interpreter.
Next morning at court (held in the school board meeting room as the town had no court house) still no interpreter. Pen and paper used to ask where the interpreter was. Note given back said something like “didn’t you bring yours?” Seems that when they found out I, the Deaf lawyer would be representing the client, they just assumed I would bring my own interpreter and canceled the one they had already booked!
They found someone living in the area who had dropped out of interpreter training program and so could sign. Couple of hours later she made it to court. Very unsatisfactory. But we got it adjourned. Took a couple more trips “up north” to make them see the error of their ways with a Charter application alleging violation of rights to an interpreter and all that. Won the application but all that the Judge would grant was that from then on an interpreter be there for all further court appearances!
Client turned out to have no communication problems. Just the normal product of a Deaf school – just like the ones I had grown up with in the dorms!
Fifteen years later, still struggling to get interpreters provided when and as needed and without always having to fight for it!
