Mass. Gen. Laws » Part III Title I Chapter 221C
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 221C, § 2 (2026)

Right to assistance; availability of qualified interpreters; reports

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 2. A non–English speaker, throughout a legal proceeding, shall have a right to the assistance of a qualified interpreter who shall be appointed by the judge, unless the judge finds that no qualified interpreter of the non–English speaker's language is reasonably available, in which event the non–English speaker shall have the right to a certified interpreter, who shall be appointed by the judge. The court shall report to the coordinator of interpreter services every instance in which a qualified interpreter was found not to be reasonably available.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1998–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Vargas, 57 N.E.3d 920 (Mass. 2016).
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Commonwealth v. Vargas, 57 N.E.3d 920 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 2× “” G. L. c. 221C, § 2. “Non-English speaker” is defined as “a person who cannot speak or understand, or has difficulty in speaking or understanding, the English language, because he uses only or primarily a spoken language other than English.”
Commonwealth v. Colon, 121 N.E.3d 1157 (Mass. 2019). “It is not clear whether the defendant raised this claim on constitutional or statutory grounds. At least with regard to similar questions proposed for the written questionnaire, the defendant argued that the questioning was necessary to protect his rights under "the Sixth and…”
Commonwealth v. Ardon, 702 N.E.2d 808 (Mass. 1998). “The defendant also places undue significance on G. L. c. 221C, § 2 (providing, in part, non-English speaker right to qualified or certified interpreter throughout legal proceeding), contending that there is no *500 legitimate distinction for denying this right to custodial…”
ADOPTION OF DENISE (& Two Companion Cases)., No. 24-P-0705 (Mass. App. Ct. May 23, 2025). · cites it 3× “The party claiming a violation of G. L. c. 221C, § 2, bears the burden of proving that the affected party is a non-English speaker.”
Commonwealth v. Lee, 134 N.E.3d 523 (Mass. 2019). “" G. L. c. 221C, § 2. Under G. L. c. 221C, § 1, a "certified interpreter" is "an interpreter who has been duly trained and certified" by the office of court interpreter services.”
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