{"data":{"id":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-15-27-155","jurisdiction":"us-sc","citation":"S.C. Code Ann. § 15-27-155","heading":"Interpreter for party or witness unable to speak English; qualified interpreter defined; fees; centralized list; use of interpreter not on list.","body":"(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever a party or witness to a civil legal proceeding does not sufficiently speak the English language to testify, the court may appoint a qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings and the testimony of the party or witness. However, the court may waive the use of a qualified interpreter if the court finds that it is not necessary for the fulfillment of justice. The court must first make a finding on the record that the waiver of a qualified interpreter is in the best interest of the party or witness and that this action is in the best interest of justice.\n(B) An \"interpreter\" means a person who:\n(1) is eighteen years of age or older;\n(2) is not a family member of the party or witness;\n(3) is an instructor of foreign language at an institution of education; or\n(4) has educational training or experience that enables him or her to fluently speak a foreign language and interpret the language of another person.\nAn \"interpreter\" shall not be a person confined to an institution.\n(C)(1) The selection, use, and reimbursement of interpreters must be determined under such guidelines as may be established by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;\n(2) The fees for interpreting services may be:\n(a) paid out of the general fund of the State from funds appropriated to the Judicial Department for this purpose by the General Assembly;\n(b) paid by one or more of the parties as the court may direct; or\n(c) taxed ultimately as costs based on the discretion of the court.\n(D) The Division of Court Administration shall maintain a centralized list of qualified interpreters to interpret the proceedings to and testimony of a party or witness. A party or a witness is not precluded from using a qualified interpreter who is not on the centralized list as long as the interpreter meets the requirements of subsection (B) and submits a sworn affidavit to the court specifying his or her qualifications.","path":["Title 15 - CIVIL REMEDIES AND PROCEDURES","CHAPTER 27 Trial and Certain Incidents Thereof","ARTICLE 1 General Provisions"],"source_url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t15c027.php","current_through":"2025 Session of the General Assembly","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-02T06:41:09Z","sha256":"6d37a9ebbb8a9f3cf18e6f266a55b59bcd3faf82a292d9f61d1ec04b8c98c361","source_id":"us-sc","stale":false,"prev":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-15-27-15","next":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-15-28-30"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}