Certified translations are required whenever parties put foreign-language material before a UK court. Recent amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and related Practice Directions clarify both how witness evidence must be prepared and what a compliant certification must contain. This note summarises the key requirements and sets out how IMD Translations delivers court-ready work.
1) Witness statements: language, format, and filing
- A witness statement must be drafted in the witness’s own language, expressed in the first person, and include the date of any translation.
- Where a witness statement is in a foreign language, the party relying on it must (i) have it translated and (ii) file the foreign-language statement with the court. The translator must sign the original statement and certify that the English translation is accurate. Non-compliance risks exclusion and adverse cost consequences.
- For affidavits in a foreign language, the translator must file an affidavit verifying the translation and exhibit both the translation and the foreign-language affidavit.
2) The statement of truth: language requirements
The statement of truth verifying a witness statement must be in the witness’s own language and must carry the contempt warning wording prescribed by the CPR. It must be dated and signed in accordance with Part 22 and its Practice Direction.
3) What a “certified translation” must say
Although the CPR specifies how translations are presented, widely used UK government and professional guidance converge on the minimum content of a translator’s certificate. Each certified translation should include:
- a confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document;
- the date of translation;
- the translator’s full name, signature, and contact details (or those of the translation company).
The Association of Translation Companies (ATC), the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) and the Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) issue joint guidance endorsing this wording and explain when notarisation or legalisation (apostille) may also be required by the receiving authority.
4) Family proceedings: documents requiring additional authentication
In family cases, where a marriage or civil partnership certificate (or certified copy) is not in English, the translation must be verified by a translator and certified by a notary public or authenticated by a statement of truth (effective 1 June 2024). Practitioners should ensure the correct form is used at issue.
5) Quality assurance and translator competence
Courts expect professional standards in the translation process. ISO 17100:2015 sets internationally recognised requirements for translation-service processes (translator qualifications, revision, and project controls). While ISO 17100 is not a rule of court, it is an established benchmark that underpins reliable, auditable work suitable for litigation.
6) IMD Translation: court-ready delivery
IMD Translation prepares documents to meet the above requirements by:
- taking instructions on the procedural context (witness statement, exhibit, affidavit, order or certificate) and the relevant court’s directions;
- allocating suitably qualified legal linguists and applying two-linguist production (translation and independent revision) aligned to ISO 17100 processes where requested;
- producing a translator’s certificate that contains the statement of accuracy, date, full name, signature, and contact details, consistent with government and professional guidance;
- formatting witness statements to CPR standards, including own-language statements, dated translations, and ensuring the translator signs the original statement when the CPR require it;
- providing secure, bound copies or digital files as the receiving court or listing office requires.
7) Court-ready checklist (use before filing)
- Witness statement drafted in the witness’s own language and signed.
- Statement of truth in the witness’s own language; dated and signed.
- English translation prepared; first page header includes the date of translation.
- Translator’s certificate includes statement of accuracy, date, full name, signature, and contact details.
- For affidavits: translator’s affidavit verifying the translation is filed and exhibits both language versions.
- For family proceedings (where applicable): translation of marriage/civil partnership certificate verified and notarised or statement-of-truth authenticated.
For assistance with a pending filing, or to request a sample certification, contact IMD Translation: imdtranslation.co.uk