2. Forensic interpreting
-
Len Roberts-Smith
Abstract
This chapter reviews a number of key cases from different English speaking countries where poor interpretation created legal problems. The author attributes these problems to three major reasons: (1) The complete absence of an interpreter; (2) the provision of unqualified bilinguals or interpreters in the wrong language; and (3) the services of “professional accredited” but untrained interpreters who do not possess the required high level skills to perform as legal interpreters. The author argues that monocultural or Anglophone lawyers and judges often lack an understanding of the interpreting process and the work of interpreters, which may lead to forensic error. The chapter ends with recommendations for the way forward.
Abstract
This chapter reviews a number of key cases from different English speaking countries where poor interpretation created legal problems. The author attributes these problems to three major reasons: (1) The complete absence of an interpreter; (2) the provision of unqualified bilinguals or interpreters in the wrong language; and (3) the services of “professional accredited” but untrained interpreters who do not possess the required high level skills to perform as legal interpreters. The author argues that monocultural or Anglophone lawyers and judges often lack an understanding of the interpreting process and the work of interpreters, which may lead to forensic error. The chapter ends with recommendations for the way forward.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- 1. Introduction. Quality in interpreting 1
-
Part I. A shared responsibility
- 2. Forensic interpreting 13
- 3. The tension between adequacy and acceptability in legal interpreting and translation 37
- 4. A discourse of danger and loss 55
- 5. Is healthcare interpreter policy left in the seventies? 71
-
Part II. Investigations and innovations in quality interpreting
- 6. Interpreter ethics versus customary law 85
- 7. A shared responsibility in the administration of justice 99
- 8. Interpreting for the record 119
- 9. Court interpreting in Basque 135
- 10. Community interpreting in Spain 149
-
Part III. Pedagogy, ethics and responsibility in interpreting
- 11. Toward more reliable assessment of interpreting performance 171
- 12. Quality in healthcare interpreter training 187
- 13. What can interpreters learn from discourse studies? 201
- 14. Achieving quality in health care interpreting 221
- 15. Research ethics, interpreters and biomedical research 235
- Contributors 251
- Index 253
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- 1. Introduction. Quality in interpreting 1
-
Part I. A shared responsibility
- 2. Forensic interpreting 13
- 3. The tension between adequacy and acceptability in legal interpreting and translation 37
- 4. A discourse of danger and loss 55
- 5. Is healthcare interpreter policy left in the seventies? 71
-
Part II. Investigations and innovations in quality interpreting
- 6. Interpreter ethics versus customary law 85
- 7. A shared responsibility in the administration of justice 99
- 8. Interpreting for the record 119
- 9. Court interpreting in Basque 135
- 10. Community interpreting in Spain 149
-
Part III. Pedagogy, ethics and responsibility in interpreting
- 11. Toward more reliable assessment of interpreting performance 171
- 12. Quality in healthcare interpreter training 187
- 13. What can interpreters learn from discourse studies? 201
- 14. Achieving quality in health care interpreting 221
- 15. Research ethics, interpreters and biomedical research 235
- Contributors 251
- Index 253
