[2] The rights implied by section 14 were defined by the Supreme Court in the case R. v. Tran (1994), which involved an interpreter for a defendant who spoke Vietnamese in an English language trial.
The Supreme Court found that section 14 requires the translation to be of consistent quality ("continuity") and unbiased accuracy.
[3] The finding on the required quality came from the purpose of the right, which, based in natural justice and multiculturalism, emphasized that a defendant must fully understand the trial.
[2] People asking for an interpreter must demonstrate an inability to understand the language of the court and ask for section 14 rights to be fulfilled.
However, Tran established that this burden "will not normally be an onerous step,"[2] and some courts with a high volume of cases involving multicultural parties will routinely provide interpreters upon request without much if any inquiry as to need.