Court Interpretation

The court interpretation is greatly different from the conference interpretation. According to Liese KATSCHINKA, there are the five main differences:

I. A court interpreter does not work comfortably and he is isolated from a booth.
Working in the simultaneous mode from a booth is just one of many different types of interpreting. For conference interpreters, consecutive and whispered interpretation are still common skills in certain situations such as business negotiations, factory visits, study tours, visits by political delegations/heads of state, board meetings, interviews, etc. When considering the special set-up of the standard courtroom and the most common type of interpreting assignment for court interpreters, then conference-room facilities are certainly not necessary.

II. Court interpreters get less accuracy and fluency of the language.
The average educational background of a court interpreter's client differs from that of the average conference delegate, and it has an influence on speakers' oral performance. According to Liese KATSCHINKA, speaking of the speakers' fear and uncertainty, he believes that conference speakers will often speak too fast, simply because they are afraid of delivering a paper in public or are insecure about their speaking skills.

III. Court interpreters work alone.
According to Liese KATSCHINKA, a court interpreter rarely has the advantage of working in a team of interpreters. Court interpreters work alone for long hours and with no rest or recovery time. The potential damage to their vocal chords is never considered.

IV. They are forced to stand by all the time.
Court interpreters do not only work in court, but they are involved at every stage of the legal process, especially in systems where they are called to the interview following arrest. Such sessions often take place at unsociable hours. Interpreters are naturally expected to arrive at the police station, alert and articulate, minutes after being dragged from slumber by the telephone.

V. They have to keep neutral.
A court interpreter must make it clear from the very beginning and he has to be very impartial. In a courtroom, the seating arrangements of the interpreters can often contribute to making that point clear, especially to a court interpreter's "clients". Avoiding conversations is another way of maintaining one's impartiality.