Legal and judicial fields are crucially sensitive subjects if there is the slightest misinterpretation which could lead to a significant difference in the decision-making process. Legal interpretation is the process of giving meaning to a particular legal text and understanding the essence and the intention of the legal text itself, usually in a form of spoken and signed communication. Therefore, it is very important to have legal interpretation to perform justice in a multilingual society.
Legal Interpretation in a Nutshell
In short, legal interpretation could be defined as a way that people that speak different languages could communicate on the same page in a legal setting. There are some situations where this particular form of legal interpretation is important such as court proceedings, making a crime report, or counselling. Since interpreting such content would be very restricted and confidential, legal interpretation is very important to be done professionally to push the possibility of misconduct as little as possible.
The legal interpretation comes in many forms, depending on the demand of the circumstances and the legal setting itself. The four most common legal interpretation forms are:
- Simultaneous Interpretation – is usually used in court proceedings, done in real-time, and needs the full concentration of the interpreter to be able to deliver the interpretation accurately to those who are in the courtroom or to whom it might concern.
- Consecutive Interpretation – is when the interpreter will listen to a part of the context and convey the message alternately with the speaker. This allows the interpreter to understand more about the whole context and have more time to choose a better glossary.
- Sight Interpretation – is usually done to clarify the meaning and purpose of a legal document such as a police report. Interpreting by sight needs the ability to read quickly and comprehensively.
- Remote Interpretation – is usually done when an on-site interpreter is unavailable. Then, the alternative would be by doing Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), which means that the interpreting process would be done via a video device, which could be by a smartphone app or computer. This method allows cost-efficiency as an interpreter in person is more costly than a remote one.
Legal Interpreter Vs General Interpreter
It is non-arguable that legal interpreting needs an extra skill set from the interpreter. While the general interpreter might have all the skills to provide a great interpreting service, legal interpreters would have advantages when it comes to interpreting a legal document or performing live interpreting in a legal scene. A legal interpreter would have familiarity with all the legal terminology used in a legal setting, including the jargon. Moreover, to become a legal interpreter, they would need to be licensed and have a sound background in law and legal, and be up to date with the current trends and developments in the law and legal world.
Choosing an interpreter might be challenging, especially for a licensed legal interpreter. In Elite Asia, we offer you a multilingual legal solution that will ensure the quality of the interpretation to avoid any misunderstanding, consistency in translation, and comprehensive support where you will get your assigned project manager and team to work on your project to ensure your customer’s experience. Our professional legal interpreter is also familiar with the non-disclosure agreement to guarantee the privacy of the clients.
