MoJ Code of Conduct and Ethics

The code describes the public service standards and ethical values which underpin the work of the Ministry of Justice and reflects current guidance and best practice which all Interpreters must follow.

As a publicly funded body, the Ministry of Justice has a duty to set and maintain the highest standards of conduct and integrity and it expects the highest standards of corporate behaviour and responsibility from its employees and people who are contracted to work for it.

All Interpreters are expected to act in the spirit set out in the seven principles of public life: the “Nolan Principles” available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life

As well as promoting the standards of business conduct expected of public bodies, this policy aims to protect Interpreters from any suggestion of corruption, partiality, or dishonesty by providing a clear framework through which the organisation can provide guidance and assurance that its officers conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, and probity.

The code should be read in conjunction with all relevant Ministry of Justice policies which are developed and agreed in line with the principles set out in this code.

Ethics – At all times interpreters must:

1. Act with integrity, maintain high standards, and conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner, including when working with other interpreters to complete a booking.
2. Carry out their work in an impartial manner and disclose any personal interest, such as financial, business, family related or are known to them, in order that the commissioning body can assess if this constitutes a potential conflict of interest as soon as they become aware of it. If the commissioning body considers the conflict to be unacceptable, the Interpreter may be asked to withdraw from the Booking.
3. Not accept any gift or reward that could be construed as an incentive to act against their professional obligations.
4. Not accept payment for information about the commissioning body or details of their Booking or information shared as part of the Booking.
5. Immediately notify the commissioning body of any prior relationship with any party to proceedings in a Booking.
6. Immediately notify the commissioning body of any previous involvement with a particular Booking.
7. Disclose to the commissioning body if they have had any involvement in previous Bookings with the same client
8. Disclose to the commissioning body any criminal record or other information which may make them unsuitable for a particular Booking. At the discretion of the commissioning body, Interpreters with a criminal record may be precluded from receiving particular Bookings.
9. Not discriminate between parties (to their advantage or disadvantage) either directly or indirectly and act impartially at all times and not act in any way that might result in prejudice or preference on any grounds, including but not limited to, religion or belief, race, colour, ethnic origin, political allegiance, gender, gender reassignment, age, nationality, sexual orientation, or disability other than as obliged to in order to faithfully translate, interpret otherwise transfer meaning.
10. Respond within the required timescale to any allegations of misconduct or departure from this code.
11. Not engage in any behaviour likely to discredit the Authority including, but not limited to, impairment through drugs or alcohol, sexual misconduct, violence, intimidation, or abusive behaviour.
12. Monitor fitness to carry out work and ensure that duties are stopped in the event that it could be detrimental to physical or mental health.
13. Maintain vigilance and observe behaviour of Service End Users, ensuring to notify the relevant officer if signs of anxiety, distress or distractions are witnessed.
14. If they believe that a vulnerable child or adult is at risk of harm, highlight any areas of concern, poor practice, or potential safeguarding issues to the contractor they are booked through, and report the safeguarding issue in accordance with the Suppliers safeguarding policy.
15. Keep a digital record of actions and reasons for sharing information about a person, to be shared with the Authority on request.
16. Conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner at all times, from acceptance to completion of Bookings made through the contracted supplier by the commissioning body.
17. If they are a member of a professional body, always act in accordance with their ethical standards.
18. Make considered and clear judgements about what to do in instances where parts of this ‘Code’ could come into conflict with itself, such as sharing confidential information in order to prevent harm. Ensure that all decisions can be justified appropriately.

Confidentiality – At all times interpreters must:

1. Treat all information provided in the course of a Booking as confidential and unless disclosure is required by law, ensure no information is communicated to any third party without the express permission of the commissioning body.
2. Ensure that all information and material is used only for the purpose authorised by the commissioning body.
3. Ensure that all material is returned to the commissioning body at the conclusion of a Booking.
4. Comply with all Data Protection Legislation.
5. Not use any of the information obtained during the course of a Booking for any purpose other than is authorised.
6. Secure any document, recordings or media provided during the course of a Booking, ensuring that it is not disclosed or copied and is returned at the end of the Booking.

Professional Competence – At all times interpreters must:

1. At all times cooperate with any quality and assurance activity carried out by or on behalf of the Authority.
2. Only accept Bookings for Languages in which they can demonstrate that they have the required level of competency and refuse any work beyond their level of competency, either linguistically or due to a lack of specialised knowledge.
3. Be fluent in and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the written and spoken form of Languages, including regional dialects, colloquialisms, idiomatic expressions, and technical terms.
4. Maintain language and other relevant professional linguist skills in order to discharge services to the required standard.
5. Be familiar with any cultural background relevant to the Booking.
6. Understand the relevant procedures and protocols of the justice system as required for the relevant commissioning body.
7. Not delegate any work to third parties or accept any delegated work.
8. Not bring the Authority or the profession generally into disrepute by conducting themselves in a manner at variance with the high standards expected of a professional person.
9. Hold valid Qualifications, certificates, and Security Levels prior to taking Bookings with these requirements as requested by the relevant commissioning body.

Face to Face and Video Interpretation – At all times interpreters must:

1. Verify their identity on request by the commissioning body through the use of an up-to-date photo Identification Badge.
2. Wear their photo Identification Badge at all times when on a Booking.
3. Verify the validity of any declared security clearances/ Security Levels when requested by the commissioning body.
4. Arrive at the venue in readiness to commence interpreting at the time requested to by informing a member of staff of their arrival so the time can be recorded accurately.
5. Arrive at the venue with the official timesheet.
6. Ensure all timesheets contain accurate information and not make fraudulent claims of time worked.
7. Ensure all timesheets are approved by an appropriate staff member of the commissioning body before leaving the Booking location.
8. Comply with the security arrangements of the location they are attending.
9. Remain for the entire duration of the Booking or until released by the commissioning body
10. When accepting back-to-back Bookings, only accept a second Booking within a reasonable distance to ensure they can complete the first Booking and arrive for the second at the requested time.
11. Dress appropriately for all Bookings.
12. Take an oath or give an affirmation if directed to do so.
13. For video Bookings, ensure they are in an appropriately secure environment, free from noise and with full consideration of data security guidelines.

Verbal Interpretation – At all times interpreters must:

1. Interpret impartially between the various parties, taking reasonable action to ensure effective communication and clear understanding.
2. Convey the exact meaning of what has been said by each party, without making changes or omissions to the content; intervening only to prevent potential misunderstandings. In exceptional circumstances, a summary (which must not distort in any way the meaning of what has been said) may be given if requested by the commissioning body.
3. Inform the commissioning body where difficulties are encountered with dialect, technical terms or lack of relevant background knowledge which may impair their ability to carry out the booking. If these issues cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the commissioning body, the Interpreter should withdraw from the Booking.
4. Not give legal or other advice or express opinions to any of the parties that exceed their role and duties as Interpreters.
5. Request that the relevant parties provide an environment that is conducive to deliver interpretation, such as ensuring that all parties can be heard clearly. The Interpreter must inform the relevant parties if the environment appears unsuitable for the purpose.

Social Media – At all times interpreters must:

1. Be aware that social networking websites are public forums and should not assume that their entries will remain private. All communications via social media must comply with the relevant organisational social media and associated policies.
2. Refrain from posting or uploading anything on social media websites in relation to bookings in court hearings or venues, past, present, or future, in which the matter discussed could be considered confidential or not for public consumption