Breaking the Language Barrier: Why South Africa’s Courts Are Failing Millions | Dr. Zakeera Docrat

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This week on The Social Impact Show, forensic linguist Dr. Zakeera Docrat exposes how South Africa’s English-only court policy denies justice to millions—and reveals Chief Justice Mandisa Maya’s bold plan to fix it.

🔍 Key Takeaways:
The 2017 policy crisis: How declaring English the sole language of record created a "justice desert" for non-English speakers.
Groundbreaking solutions: Why bilingual judgments (e.g., isiXhosa + English) could be the first step to reform.
AI vs. human interpreters: Dr. Docrat’s surprising verdict on technology’s role in courtrooms.

Historic conference wins: How Africa’s first Forensic Linguistics summit is reshaping legal practice globally.

💡 Why Listen?
"Language isn’t just words—it’s the difference between freedom and prison." — Dr. Docrat on courtroom inequality.
"We’re piloting change in provinces now. In 10 years, every South African must understand their trial."
🎧 Listen Now → Then share this episode with #LanguageJusticeSA

#ForensicLinguistics #AccessToJustice #Multilingualism #SouthAfrica
10 Jul English South Africa Business · Non-Profit

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