Court interpreter ethics and the role of professional organizations
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Erik Camayd-Freixas
Abstract
The changing landscape in interpreting includes a recent trend toward criminalizing unauthorized immigration, giving rise to a procedurally and ethically ambiguous area of the law: “crimmigration.” Its contradictions in terms of constitutional, civil, and human rights came to the fore in the 2008 Postville, Iowa immigration raid and mass felony prosecutions, a landmark case that challenged interpreter codes of ethics and the role of professional organizations in responding to such challenges. This paper examines both the intrinsic and interpretive limitations of existing ethical codes through a historical analysis of their development in relation to the main traditions in ethical theory – deontology, consequentialism, moral sentiments, and virtue ethics – and using Postville as a practical case study. Recommendations are made for an in-depth revision of interpreter codes and the proactive leadership role of professional organizations, proposing as model the interpreter code of ethics of the Massachusetts Trial Courts.
Abstract
The changing landscape in interpreting includes a recent trend toward criminalizing unauthorized immigration, giving rise to a procedurally and ethically ambiguous area of the law: “crimmigration.” Its contradictions in terms of constitutional, civil, and human rights came to the fore in the 2008 Postville, Iowa immigration raid and mass felony prosecutions, a landmark case that challenged interpreter codes of ethics and the role of professional organizations in responding to such challenges. This paper examines both the intrinsic and interpretive limitations of existing ethical codes through a historical analysis of their development in relation to the main traditions in ethical theory – deontology, consequentialism, moral sentiments, and virtue ethics – and using Postville as a practical case study. Recommendations are made for an in-depth revision of interpreter codes and the proactive leadership role of professional organizations, proposing as model the interpreter code of ethics of the Massachusetts Trial Courts.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements ix
- Interpreting in a changing landscape 1
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Part I. Political and economic changes
- Court interpreter ethics and the role of professional organizations 15
- Role playing “Pumpkin” 31
- A description of interpreting in prisons 45
- From chaos to cultural competence 61
- The UNCRPD and “professional” sign language interpreter provision 83
- From invisible machines to visible experts 101
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Part II. Interpreting vs. mediating/culture brokering
- Role issues in the Low Countries 117
- One job too many? 133
- Exploring institutional perceptions of child language brokering 149
- Natural interpreters’ performance in the medical setting 165
- The interpreter – a cultural broker? 187
- The role of the interpreter in educational settings 203
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Part III. Interpreting strategies in different interactional contexts
- Business as usual? 225
- Who is speaking? 249
- Changing perspectives 267
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Part IV. A changing landscape
- Training interpreters in rare and emerging languages 287
- From role-playing to role-taking 305
- Public service interpreter education 321
- Index 339
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements ix
- Interpreting in a changing landscape 1
-
Part I. Political and economic changes
- Court interpreter ethics and the role of professional organizations 15
- Role playing “Pumpkin” 31
- A description of interpreting in prisons 45
- From chaos to cultural competence 61
- The UNCRPD and “professional” sign language interpreter provision 83
- From invisible machines to visible experts 101
-
Part II. Interpreting vs. mediating/culture brokering
- Role issues in the Low Countries 117
- One job too many? 133
- Exploring institutional perceptions of child language brokering 149
- Natural interpreters’ performance in the medical setting 165
- The interpreter – a cultural broker? 187
- The role of the interpreter in educational settings 203
-
Part III. Interpreting strategies in different interactional contexts
- Business as usual? 225
- Who is speaking? 249
- Changing perspectives 267
-
Part IV. A changing landscape
- Training interpreters in rare and emerging languages 287
- From role-playing to role-taking 305
- Public service interpreter education 321
- Index 339
