‘A criminal crime simply does not make sense!’ shouted an exasperated Russian interpreter in front of stunned delegates, before slamming the door shut on his sound booth. Following an already fiery exchange regarding the recent conflict in Georgia, the Russia & Rule of Law seminar at the Bar Council’s Holborn HQ had become decidedly unruly.

The conference, delivered in English, was being translated to a large contingent of Russian delegates from a soundproof booth at the back of the room. About half-way through, some noticeable grumbles among three female Russian delegates quickly grew into louder squawks, drawing a few nervous looks from the podium. But by the time the conference speakers were eventually drowned out, pushing the chairman to the edge of a breakdown, five or six people had risen to their feet, pointing and shouting at the translator’s booth (it later emerged that the main complainant was bilingual and had ‘issues’ with the translations being provided). Non Russian-speaking delegates could only look on in astonishment as the door swung open, and a man, clearly ruffled, shouted back in no uncertain terms that he could not translate something that did not make sense. A fair interpretation, we reckon.