All professions have certain requirements and fulfilling them helps people to enjoy the respect and advantages that come with the titles. Let us focus on the people who are enjoying the title of interpreter. It is worth noticing whether they possess the skill set of interpreters or not.
Uniform credential in the profession of the interpreter is still too far, especially in the judiciary field. It means it is difficult to protect the people who call or do not call themselves an interpreter. We must think about what will happen in the future.
Equality of Principles for All
It is important to have some guiding principles that are applicable to everyone in legal settings offering language services. All the interpreters in the law field have the same ethical duties i.e., they need to be impartial as well as accurate and must perform the duty dedicatedly in or out of court. They must convey the same message as that of the speaker retaining the same meaning. The meaning of the conveyed message should not change in any way.
The idea that some interpreters in the legal setting do not require the same skill set as others is very inappropriate because criminal defendants of every court possess the same constitutional rights, whether it is a state court or a federal court. For this reason, an interpreter is provided for every non-English speaker.
Interpreters are the voice of voiceless
Interpreters play a vital role in legal settings. If they do not exist, then criminals who are non-English speakers would be helpless as they will be unable to confront or defend themselves. Non-English speaking witnesses or those who are unable to understand English will be unable to present the testimonial evidence. The demands of the interpreter profession are strict because they become the voice of the voiceless. The interpreter assists people in understanding the situation and communicates in a criminal hearing versus an administrative hearing, or deposition under oath versus a police interrogation.
Many think that this is easy, and anyone can do this task easily. Some think that interpreters are grossly overpaid. This situation exists only when anyone who does not even possess the skill set represents an interpreter. Therefore, the interpreter fraternity needs to uphold the highest level of standards and demand the same from those who claim themselves to be a part of this fraternity. Regular knowledge up-gradation is also required so that interpreters give their best every time they walk into the assignment. Every interpreter is an ambassador of their profession and it is their responsibility to represent their profession at its best.
Mediocrity is not enough
There is no space for average skills in this profession. People think it is enough to obtain a credential, but the important thing is that a credential, whether it be a federal or state certification, is not the game’s end. Because a credential signifies that a person met the minimum required skills to offer language service in the legal system. A credential is just the benchmark that intends to assist and protect the rights of people who are unable to understand and speak the court language.
Overall, there should be no difference in the minimum skills in one justice system, and the other and this profession should not accept the fallacy of less competent or more competent interpreters depending on which quasi-judicial or judicial setting requires the service. Feel free to share your views and do share this article.
