Section 11. Language to be Used in the Criminal Proceedings
(1) The criminal proceedings shall take place in the official language.
(2) If the person who has the right to defence, a victim and his or her representative, a witness, specialist, expert, auditor, as well as other persons who the person directing the proceedings has involved in the criminal proceedings does not speak the official language, such persons have the right to use the language that such persons understand during the performance of procedural actions, and to use the assistance of an interpreter free of charge, whose participation shall be ensured by the person directing the proceedings. In the pre-trial proceedings, the investigating judge or court shall provide for the participation of an interpreter in the hearing of issues that fall within the jurisdiction of the investigating judge or court.
(2^1) A person who has the right to defence, if he or she does not have the knowledge of the official language, may use the language the person has knowledge of and during the meeting with the defence counsel use, free of charge, the assistance of an interpreter whose participation shall be ensured by the person directing the proceedings, in the following cases:
1) to prepare for the interrogation within the pre-trial proceedings or for the trial at a court hearing;
2) to draw up a written complaint regarding the conduct of an official who handles the criminal proceedings or regarding the enforcement, amendment or revocation of a ruling and a procedural compulsory measure;
3) to draw up a document necessary for the trial of the case in the written procedure;
4) to draw up an appellate or cassation complaint.
(2^2) For a person who has the right to defence and who has been applied a security measure related to imprisonment, the participation of the interpreter for exercising of the rights referred to in Paragraph 2^1 of this Section shall be ensured by the relevant prison.
(2^3) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures and scope of ensuring the assistance of the interpreter in the cases referred to in Paragraphs 2^1 and 2^2 of this Section.
(3) When issuing procedural documents to a person involved in the criminal proceedings who does not understand the official language, such person shall be ensured, in the cases provided for by law, with a translation of such documents in a language understood by such person.
(4) The official conducting criminal proceedings may perform a separate procedural action in another language by appending a translation of the procedural documents in the official language.
(5) In the criminal proceedings, complaints received in another language shall be translated into the official language only in the case of necessity, which shall be determined by the person directing the proceedings. The person directing the proceedings shall ensure the translation into the official language of the appellate complaints and cassation complaints against court rulings received in another language.
(6) The provisions of this Section regarding the right of a person to use the language that the person has knowledge of and to use the assistance of an interpreter free of charge shall also apply to persons with hearing, speech or visual impairments. When issuing procedural documents to such persons in the cases provided for by the law, the availability of such documents in the language or the manner which such persons are able to perceive shall be ensured.
1. The official languages of the Court shall be Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The judgements of the Court, as well as other decisions resolving fundamental issues before the Court, shall be published in the official languages. The Presidency shall, in accordance with the criteria established by the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, determine which decisions may be considered as resolving fundamental issues for the purposes of this paragraph.
2. The working languages of the Court shall be English and French. The Rules of Procedure and Evidence shall determine the cases in which other official languages may be used as working languages.
3. At the request of any party to a proceeding or a State allowed to intervene in a proceeding, the Court shall authorize a language other than English or French to be used by such a party or State, provided that the Court considers such authorization to be adequately justified.
2. Where there are grounds to believe that a person has committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court and that person is about to be questioned either by the Prosecutor, or by national authorities pursuant to a request made under Part 9, that person shall also have the following rights of which he or she shall be informed prior to being questioned:
(c) To have legal assistance of the person's choosing, or, if the person does not have legal assistance, to have legal assistance assigned to him or her, in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment by the person in any such case if the person does not have sufficient means to pay for it; and
2. Requests for cooperation and any documents supporting the request shall either be in or be accompanied by a translation into an official language of the requested State or one of the working languages of the Court, in accordance with the choice made by that State upon ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Subsequent changes to this choice shall be made in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.