In order to preserve a sense of fairness in a multilingual society, the U.S. court system has incorporated an official code of conduct for those working in the legal interpreting profession to follow. Legal interpreters are extremely important as they aid those with limited English proficiency (and/or the hearing impaired) in order to access justice. Though there may be discrepancies from state to state, there are core principles that every court interpreter should abide by.
In order to fully understand legal interpreting and what it will be like to work with a court interpreter, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
1. Were rarely employed in the past. It used to be the case that legal interpreters were only appointed in very rare cases, which left those who were not able to effectively communicate in English to struggle. Thanks to the Fourteenth Amendment, interpreting services for limited English-proficient and non-English speakers are essential in order for justice to be served.
2. Stress importance on accuracy over clarity. A legal interpreter must remember to always accurately interpret what is said in court and preserve the tone, inflection and emotions of the individual speakers, all the while speaking clearly. This means even if slang, obscene or colloquial language is used, the court interpreter must express those words. It is not a part of legal interpreting to simplify statements in cases where two parties don't speak at the same language level.
3. Avoid unnecessary conversations. A neutral attitude must be maintained by legal interpreters at all times in the courtroom. Therefore, it's best to avoid unnecessary conversations with them in that space.
4. Constantly learning. A court interpreter not only strives to improve their knowledge of language, but also that of law. They aim for fluency in legal diction, but are allowed bilingual and legal dictionaries to reference back to while in court.
5. Trained to blend in. Legal interpreters should be on time, dressed in business attire, have a sense of familiarity with the courtroom, and speak clearly. Other than that, they are to remain in the background and be as out of the way as they can possibly be.
6. Prepares for each case. It is usually required that legal interpreters review all materials provided by legal counsel in order to be prepared for an assigned case.
Some of these documents may include:
-Charges
-Police reports
-Official complaints
-Interview transcripts
-Indictments
7. Uses first person. Legal interpreters should firstly be comfortable with the mode of interpreting chosen by the court. Once they have identified themselves to the court, legal interpreters are usually expected to speak in first person when they are interpreting for non-English speaks who are giving their testimony.
8. There is little margin for error. If they sense the quality of their work may decline due to something such as fatigue, interpreters are expected to inform the court. If they suspect they have made an error while in court, they must correct it immediately. If they suspect they have made an error after the testimony, they must ask for a conference with the judge to explain and correct the error in the record. If a court interpreter shows a lack of proficiency or preparation, or is unable to perform their job due to trouble understanding the speakers or finding the correct legal terms, they will be asked to withdraw from the case.
Affordable Language Services is a Cincinnati legal transcription service. In Cincinnati and across Ohio, they provide translating and interpreting services for other industries as well. Learn more about the company on their website at http://www.affordablelanguageservices.com/.
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