Delays in the criminal justice system risk being compounded by a week-long withdrawal of labour starting on Monday by court interpreters in England and Wales angry with the private provider that contracts them.
The move by interpreters, who provide their services through thebigword, which has a £15m contract with the government for interpretation and translation, will come as a blow to the new government as it confronts the crown court backlog of nearly 68,000 cases.
