Juror perceptions in bilingual interpreted trials

Abstract

The underlying principle of a jury trial is to be judged by one’s peers. Defendants who don’t share the same cultural and linguistic background as the jurors can hardly be considered peers. Interpreters are needed to bridge the language gap when defendants cannot speak the language of the court; but language is not the sole factor that may impinge on jury perceptions of the defendant. The mode of interpreting, the position of the interpreter in the court, and the location of the interpreter have been shown to make a difference. Whether jury perceptions of the interpreter affect their perceptions of the defendant is yet unknown. This paper reports the results of an experimental study of simulated criminal jury trials in Sydney, Australia, that explored this issue.