Simultaneous interpretation before the tribunal

November 2010

NOTICE ON THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL

The Competition Tribunal must ensure that, at the request of a party to a proceeding, facilities are made available for the simultaneous interpretation of the proceedings, including the evidence given and taken, from one official language into the other.

The Competition Tribunal Rules, SOR/2008-141, therefore require parties to advise the Tribunal of the official language they intend to use in the proceedings. Persons seeking intervenor-status must also advise the Tribunal of the official language they will use at the hearing of the motion for leave to intervene and, if leave is granted, in the proceedings.

In a case where one official language has been identified in the pleadings as the language of the proceedings and a party subsequently determines that one or more of its witnesses will testify in the other official language, the party should advise the Tribunal Registry, in writing, as soon as possible.

Simultaneous interpretation services for the two official languages are provided at no cost to the parties. However, the Tribunal is charged cancellation fees if interpretation services are cancelled within less than seven working days of the scheduled hearing. Accordingly, the Registry should be advised immediately if a case settles or if a witness will not appear as scheduled.

Parties appearing before the Tribunal should be aware that other Courts, including the Federal Court of Appeal, may have different procedures in place with respect to the simultaneous interpretation of proceedings. A party should therefore contact the Registry of the Federal Court of Appeal and consult the Federal Courts Rules, SOR/98-106, in case of an appeal of a Tribunal decision where the proceedings leading to its issuance were conducted in whole or in part in both official languages.

Justice Sandra Simpson
Chairperson