ABSTRACT
This chapter will address the critical issue of ethics for court interpreters. We will enumerate some general principles and tie them to the tenets of specific codes of ethics (also known as codes of conduct or codes of professional responsibility), and then explore some aspects of the role of the interpreter that are based on ethical principles but are not yet widely accepted. The chapter will conclude with some practical guidelines for conduct in the courtroom. Every profession has a code of ethics to guide its practitioners, and interpreting
is no exception. Regardless of what type of setting they work in, professional interpreters must uphold certain standards, including accurate and faithful interpretation, confidentiality, and impartiality. In the legal environment, given the high stakes involved (personal liberty and property, public security) and the potential for misunderstandings and miscarriages of justice, ethical standards are especially important. Indeed, the Code of Professional Ethics for Court Interpreters of the International Federation of Translators (FIT) begins with a preamble that notes the court interpreter has a crucial role in ensuring a fair trial, basic human rights, and equality before the law. In this chapter, we will review the tenets of the ethical codes that govern court interpreters in various jurisdictions. The specific codes referred to are listed at the end of the chapter. Because each case is unique, and court interpreters are constantly called upon to make instantaneous decisions about appropriate behavior, we will also present some practical guidelines for applying ethical principles in real-life situations.
Professional associations of court interpreters usually adopt standards that their members agree to uphold. In addition, many jurisdictions have regulations, statutes, or rules of court that set forth the ethical obligations of interpreters. Although specific practices vary from one court to another, there are certain universal features that characterize all codes of ethics. Those features are identified and discussed below:
