Campaign for Litigants’ Equal Participation

Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition  

Text Box: PICC member organizations include: Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Office for Pastoral Care for Refugees and Migrants Camden Center for Law and Social Justice Catholic Social Services, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Immigration Program Center for Literacy Community Legal Services Friends of Farmworkers, Inc. HIAS and Council Migration Service of Philadelphia Jaisohn Center Jewish Educational and Vocational Services, Center for New Americans Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia Lutheran Children and Family Services Maternity Care Coalition Nationalities Service Center Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center Philadelphia Area Immigration Resource Center Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth Project SHINE, Center for Intergenerational Learning, Temple University PRIME - Ecumenical Commitment to Refugees SeniorLAW Center Service Employees International Union, Local 36 Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia PICC was formerly known as SERICC, the Southeast Regional Immigration and Citizenship Coalition PICC

c/o HIAS and Council Migration Service

2100 Arch Street  ·  3rd Floor  ·  Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: (215) 832-0914   Fax: (215) 832-0919   Email: piccpa@yahoo.com

Campaign for Litigants’ Equal Participation

April 28, 2003

The Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC) has initiated a “Campaign for Litigants’ Equal Participation” calling for prompt implementation of recommendations for by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Judicial System to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court last month for litigants’ equal access to the judicial system of Pennsylvania without regard to their English language proficiency or hearing disabilities.

PICC has been joined in this campaign by a wide array of organizations that recognize the fundamental importance of addressing the continuing problems experienced by limited English Proficient persons. 

PICC has consistently identified addressing the issues of Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals in accessing services and benefits as a fundamental task for PICC consistent with our mission to represent the needs of immigrants, migrants, refugees and other new Americans living in Pennsylvania.

In March 2003 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court released the report of the Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Judicial System that made extensive findings and recommendations after exhaustive study as to changes needed to make the state judicial system and state administrative agencies accessible to persons with Limited English Proficiency (See: http://friendsfw.org/LEP/LEP_PA.htm).

The Committee on Racial and Gender Bias recommended to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that the Supreme Court should: 

1.   Establish for all courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a policy that all persons, including parties to judicial proceedings, witnesses appearing therein, victims in criminal proceedings, and members of the public seeking information from offices of the courts, shall have equal access to justice in the judicial system of Pennsylvania without regard to their English language proficiency (or hearing impairments). 

2.   Require that all courts provide qualified interpreters to litigants at no charge, in order that LEP parties and witnesses may fully and fairly participate in court proceedings and obtain reasonable access to the court system.

3.   Require that the courts translate forms and other documents to the extent necessary to provide access to the court system to those unable to read English.

4.   Require that all court interpreters obtain certification pursuant to a recognized statewide certification program, maintain their proficiency through continuing education, and adhere to standards of professional conduct.

5.   Require the adoption of a code of professional responsibility for judicial interpreters together with mechanisms to assure that all interpreters are familiar with the code and are subject to discipline for any violation. 

6.   Establish within the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts  (AOPC) a Language Services Office, similar to those established by other states, staffed by professional administrative personnel experienced with issues related to court interpretation and translation, and funded sufficiently to carry out its mission.

See:  http://friendsfw.org/LEP/LEP_Litigants.htm#Recommendations.

Following release of the report, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court appointed a Judicial Council of Pennsylvania Ethnic and Racial Task Group chaired by Philadelphia City Solicitor Nelson Diaz to review the report and “…recommend methods of implementing as many of the committee's suggestions as the Supreme Court finds appropriate.”  See: http://www.courts.state.pa.us/Index/aopc/pressreleases/prrel03304.asp

PICC’s “Campaign for Litigants’ Equal Participation” will request a meeting with Philadelphia City Solicitor Nelson Diaz and other available Pennsylvania Supreme Court Ethnic and Racial Task Group members to discuss appropriate steps and procedures for prompt implementation of the Limited English proficiency Litigants recommendations.

PICC includes 22 member organizations concerned with the rights of immigrant communities and has been joined in this “Campaign for Litigants’ Equal Participation” by:

·         Asian American Bar Association of the Delaware Valley

·         American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania

·         Asian Americans United

·         Civil Rights Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association

·         Disabilities Law Project

·         Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania

·         Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Inc.,

·         National Lawyers Guild Philadelphia Chapter

·         Pennsylvania Immigrant Workers Rights Coalition

·         Philadelphia Folklore Project

·         Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

For More Information Contact:

Arthur N. Read, Telephone: (215) 733-0878, ext. 150

Email:  aread@friendsfw.org                                                                                                               

 Open as Adobe PDF File

See May 2003 Correspondence to Judicial Council of Pennsylvania Ethnic and Racial Task Group with recommendations

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