Liberal Democrat European justice and human rights spokeswoman Sarah Ludford MEP (London) has hailed as a "leap forward for European justice" today's European Parliament vote to give all EU citizens rights to interpretation and translations when they are questioned by police or tried in another EU country where they do not speak the language.

Ludford, the European Parliament's rapporteur who conducted the negotiations with the rotating EU presidency, currently held by Spain, said: 

"These measures will deliver real justice to some of our most vulnerable citizens.

"There are too many cases where people find themselves accused of a crime abroad, but are unable to understand the details of the accusation or the proceedings that are applied against them.

"When people need clarity most, they can feel faced by an Alice in Wonderland justice system where nothing feels certain or makes real sense.

"What the Parliament voted for today is effective, efficient and transparent justice.

"Now it is for member states to make it happen."

ENDS.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The rights to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings directive can now pass into EU law, having been approved by EU governments in the Council of Ministers and now the European Parliament: it is the first EU criminal justice legislation to be negotiated under co-decision with MEPs rather than decided by national parliaments alone.

The UK (and Ireland) are both choosing to opt in to this measure, which this has the support of the full complement of 26 EU states (Denmark does not take part in any EU criminal justice initiatives).

The Directive will mean that when a suspect is arrested or taken to court in an EU country where he does not speak the local language he will for the first time under EU law have the right to good quality interpretation in all questioning, hearings and key meeting with lawyers and to translation of all essential documents.

Sarah Ludford, a patron of legal NGO Fair Trials International, has been active over the last decade on many cases of denial of proper defence and trial rights, including failures to provide proper language services.

Sarah has long campaigned on improving London’s bad air quality. In February of this year she and her London Liberal Democrat colleagues Ed Davey MP and Mike Tuffrey AM sent incoming environment commissioner Janez Potočnik a letter demanding that he make enforcing the EU’s strict air quality standards in London the first item on his ‘to-do list’. She has also been active in the campaign against the 3rd Heathrow runway and expansion of London City Airport, highlighting how this would only worsen London’s air quality problem.