Strategies for progress: Looking for firm ground

Abstract

Over the last thirty years, there have been various and increasing efforts made to establish effective and consistent public service interpreting and translation. Good progress has been made but there are impasses. This paper attempts to stand back and look objectively at where, and more importantly how, we might proceed from here. This could be said to be a turning point for legal interpreting for two reasons. Firstly, enough time has elapsed for us to copy our scientific colleagues, who view the process of exploring and eliminating unsatisfactory approaches overtly, so that what does not work is recognised and discarded. Secondly, this process of exploration has enabled us to clarify and define what does work in order to focus our energies and take matters forward.