Court Interpreters and Fair Trials by John Henry Dingfelder Stone

Author:John Henry Dingfelder Stone
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

2.3 Stepping Outside the Neutral Role

2.3.1 Introduction

The role that the interpreter plays within the proceedings is also mostly a conscious decision on the part of the interpreter. While the legal system envisions an “impartial translation machine” (Mikkelson 1998, p. 8), and the generally accepted ethics applying to courtroom interpreters requires them to remain neutral both in fact and in appearance (Stern 2011, p. 335; Corsellis and Fernández 2001, p. 79; González et al. 1991, pp. 494–495), the reality of the situation is more complex. Courtroom interpreters frequently engage in activities during legal proceedings that, although often helpful to the efficient administration of the proceeding, go well beyond any understanding of “neutrality”. Even more worrisome is that many foreign language professionals themselves believe that such actions are necessary in order to fulfill their legal role (Stern 2011, p. 333; Hale 2004, p. 8; Lindie 1993, p. 414). The purpose of this section is to explain and discuss these actions, as well as examine their impact on the right to a fair trial.

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