A unit will soon be based in the DPP’s office in Suva that will translate and transcribe digitally recorded Police interviews.
This was highlighted by the Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde during the 36th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Pryde says his office received a total of 10 digitally recorded interviews and none have so far moved through the courts.
He says out of the 10, only four have both the English language translation and transcript.
The DPP says the main problem is that majority of the interviews are conducted in one of the vernacular languages which would be translated into English and then transcribed.
Pryde says they are in the process of establishing a transcription unit.
Pryde adds an advantage of having the transcription unit based in the DPP is to provide an independent view from the police in terms of translation.
He says that they have observed in the past that some police transcribers interpret certain words or phrases to fit a particular outcome or element of the offence.
