Translating for linguistic minorities in Northern Ireland: A look at translation policy in the judiciary, healthcare and local government

This paper was written in the framework of TIME (Translator Research Training: An integrated and intersectoral model for Europe), a Marie Curie Initial Training Network (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-ITN) established with support from the European Commission.Europe as a multilingual continent hosts three main types of languages: dominant languages, autochthonous minority languages, and new minority languages. From a policy standpoint, planning for speakers of these languages and their needs become a complex matter in which many actors with different interests are involved. Of the many issues which policy-makers must deal with, the role of translation is often unexplored. However, in any multilingual territory, the adoption of a language policy implies decisions whether to translate or not. With that understanding, this paper explores the role of translation in language policy in Northern Ireland. By doing so, we highlight the translation implications of policy decisions. This helps to illustrate the complexity of language and translation policy. In detail, the paper explores the complexities of language policy as seen in translation policies for speakers of Irish, Ulster Scots, and new minority languages. Specifically, it considers translation policies in the judicial system, in the healthcare system, and in local governments.status: publishe