Language access has been a longstanding issue across the United States, including in Massachusetts. When it comes to the court system in particular, there are so many barriers for court users who are limited English proficient (LEP) or Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH). For everyone to have equal access to justice within our legal system, the Court must provide those who are better served in a language other than English with interpretation and translation services. Our research reveals when court users have and do not have access to language services, where their access to justice is lacking, and changes the Court can implement to address these shortfalls.
This report provides information on the state of language access in the Massachusetts Trial Courts, using a community-centered approach. We embarked on the research for this report in 2023 to ensure continued improvements to language access for court users. By engaging impacted court users, attorneys, and advocates, we compiled our findings to help inform changes at the Court to improve language access and consequently, the court user experience for everyone.