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Stuart Hathaway is quite right to point out the difficulty most people would face when charged with a crime while in a foreign country.

Whenever my corporate clients say "but s/he speaks perfectly good English when s/he wants to and surely the Court will see through that", I point out that I am fluent in French, with an A for my A-level oral (many years ago!) and with a degree in Law with French law from LSE - but I would still ask for an interpreter if I was ever involved in any way in legal proceedings in France.

How could there possibly be a fair trial - or hearing of any description - if anyone involved (whether party, witness or other) had not quite understood everything that was going on? Justice comes at a price, but it's one that I am very willing to pay.