The role of interpreters and translators in court proceedings

Throughout our lives we all encounter some forms of the law. From the time that one lives in a community, in society, (s)he must accept and comply with certain legal norms, which allow people to peacefully coexist. In the beginning these legal norms and rules of conduct embodied in the form of customary law, and throughout history the importance of these rules to be codified and to be organized according to different legal relationship types was recognized. So the man came to the establishment of legislation, and now they cover all areas of our lives. Thus during a lifetime everyone comes across laws or legal texts by reading or applying it or is at least subject to some kind of legislation - often without knowing about it: we make contracts in written form or through implied conduct (e.g. money withdrawal from an ATM); we go to authorities and courts in order to enforce our rights or – in less fortunate cases – one is brought to justice. We establish student relationships with educational institutions, we work, get married, buy flats or houses, make testaments, during which we meet so many legal documents of relevance. The importance that these documents are valid and have legal effect especially amplifies abroad, in a foreign language environment, where one can get into a more vulnerable position because of language barriers. During enforcement procedures the translation and interpretation of written legal texts or spoken statements should be adequate, as it is an important assurance to protect the clients’ fundamental rights and legitimate interests. The correct translation is of paramount importance when it comes to the translation of legal texts.szakirányú továbbképzéskulturális és EU szakfordít