Category: Uncategorized
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Outsourced Then Screwed
By Fardous Bahbouh, Researcher & Consultant on Labour Rights, Public Policy, and the Political Economy of the Translation Industry The United Nations reported that, despite being the world’s fifth-largest economy, one-fifth of the UK’s population—14 million people—lived in poverty, with 1.5 million experiencing destitution in 2018. Fast forward to 2024, and while the UK remains…
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Who’s Responsible for the Data Gap About Public Service Interpreters?
In a recent House of Lords inquiry into public service interpreting, the heads of key linguist organisations—the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), and the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)—were questioned on the state of the profession. During the inquiry, a Lord asked a fundamental question: “How…
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Concerns Regarding Interpreters’ Representation: An Open Letter to Baroness Morris of Yardley, Chair of the Public Service Committee
By Fardous Bahbouh, Researcher & Consultant on Labour Rights, Public Policy, and the Political Economy of the Translation Industry Dear Baroness Morris, I hope this message finds you well. I want to express my deep gratitude for your considerable efforts in leading the House of Lords inquiry into court interpreting—I greatly appreciate it. I am…
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Reevaluating Public Service Interpreting and Translation: An Ethical, Economic, and Policy Analysis.
By Fardous Bahbouh, Researcher & Consultant on Labour Rights, Public Policy, and the Political Economy of the Translation Industry This slightly modifies analysis was submitted to the House of Lords Inquiry into court interpreting and translation and published on their website. I welcome the House of Lords Public Services Committee’s decision to conduct this much-needed…
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Whodunit? A Ethical Question Inspired by a True Story
By Fardous Bahbouh, Researcher & Consultant on Labour Rights, Public Policy, and the Political Economy of the Translation Industry Linda’s story began with hope! She had journeyed with her husband, Mike, to Libertyland, a little island nation on planet Bureaucratopia. They were eagerly anticipating the birth of their second child. Linda went to hospital thinking…
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Who regulates NRPSI? And why interpreters should NOT be required to fund its Publications.
The National Register for Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) keeps insisting that its role is to protect the public. I question this claim. Established in 1994, NRPSI was intended as a step towards regulating public service interpreting. However, there is little evidence that this legacy organisation has updated its approach in response to the outsourcing of…
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Inequality and Problematic Power Dynamics in the UK Outsourced Public Service Interpreting: A Literature Review
(This review cover materials up to 1 October 2025) Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest nations, the UK continues to grapple with widespread poverty. In 2018, one-fifth of the population lived in poverty, with 1.5 million experiencing destitution (United Nations, 2019a). By 2024, poverty persists, disproportionately impacting women and ethnic minorities, including many who…
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