Approaching the bench: Teaching magistrates and judges how to work effectively with interpreters

Abstract

Reports about judicial misunderstandings of the interpreting process are common (Berk-Seligson 2008; Morris 2010; Hale 2011a). The misconception that interpreters 'just translate' from one language to another by swapping individual words from language A to language B in a mechanical, uncomplicated way, is still prevalent among some legal professionals. Research into court interpreting, however, has highlighted the complexities involved in attempting to achieve a pragmatically accurate rendition in conditions that are usually less than adequate (Hale 2004; Mikkelson 2008; Hale & Stern 2011). In order for court interpreting to be successful, all parties must be aware of its challenges and share the responsibility for effective communication (Ozolins & Hale 2009). This chapter will describe the contents and structure of a workshop designed and delivered by the author to Australian magistrates, judges and tribunal members on how to work effectively with interpreters, for over ten years. It will further discuss the positive concrete outcomes achieved through the raising of awareness among the judiciary about the importance of interpreters in the legal system.