Reflection Forum on multilingualism and interpreter training
January 2010
Implementing an efficient structure of
legal interpreting
1. It is recommended that legal interpreters have protection of
title and that their
status be defined in the law.
2. Relevant data should be collected as a basis for nationally
co-ordinated and informed planning for meeting requirements in
legal interpreting and to monitor progress. This effort would
include:
- Estimation of predicted demand: visitors (e.g. for tourism,
trade or education),
events (e.g. sporting, commercial fairs), legal services employing
legal
interpreters, new arrivals (immigration and migration),
etc.
- Current demand in terms of when legal interpreters are to be
engaged, in which
languages, in which geographical locations, etc.
- Potential supply of qualified legal interpreters in terms of
numbers, languages,
training, locations, qualifications, etc.
This task, as well as the responsibility for liaising with the
professional association(s), the accreditation of training and the
keeping of the register, could be the responsibility of a
governmental authority.
3. The necessary budget should be allocated for the provision of
quality legal interpreting in the legal services as well as for the
fair and reasonable remuneration of the legal interpreters.
4. The legal services should commit themselves to engage
qualified, registered legal
interpreters only.
5. The exchange of good practices and the establishment of
training and professional networks should be encouraged and
effectively established among EU countries to push standards of
legal interpreting up effectively.
Read the final EU report: Reflection Forum on
Multilingualism and Interpreter Training
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