NCJ Number
173730
Date Published
1997
Length
125 pages
Annotation
This Model Guide attempts to educate judges, lawyers and court managers about court interpreting competency, testing and certification.
Abstract
Individuals with limited ability to speak English are often members of subcultures where legal systems, values, and social customs vary widely from those of the majority culture. Having no interpreter or having incompetent interpreters dramatically magnifies the barriers that deny equal access to justice when linguistic minorities are victims or witnesses. This Guide discusses what skills and abilities are required for effective court interpretation and identifies ways to determine whether court interpreters are qualified to fulfill their job requirements. The Guide includes practical exercises in simultaneous and consecutive interpretation, instructions on developing and scoring interpreter tests, an introduction to the State Court Interpreter Certification Consortium, and information on court interpreting for deaf persons. Notes, appendixes