Legal Interpreters in the News in Ireland Mary Phelan Dublin City University, Ireland The International Journal for
[email protected] Translation & Interpreting Research trans-int.org Abstract: This article consists of a review of court reports from national and provincial newspapers in Ireland over an eight year period from 2003 to 2010. Coverage suggests that interpreters are not always provided in police stations or in the courts and that on occasion friends and family members act as interpreters in court. The issue of proficiency in English is a recurrent one and the reports provide an insight into the attitudes of judges, lawyers and police officers to defendants who are not proficient in the language. Meanwhile, some solicitors consistently request interpreters for their clients when they appear in court. Other salient issues are cost, interpreter competency and interpreter ethics. Keywords: competency, court, ethics, interpreter, police, proficiency 1. Introduction The present DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions], James Hamilton, recalls that on one occasion a German sailor was brought into court charged with a public order offence following a night on the town. He was asked to stand up, but did not move. He describes what happened next: Does he speak English? the judge enquired of the garda. No, Justice, he replied. Is there an interpreter? No, Justice. Does anyone here speak German? A hand went up at the back of the court. Swear him in, demanded the judge, and the man was sworn in as an interpreter. Ask him his name, Judge O hUadhaigh demanded of the interpreter. Fatt iss your name? the interpreter, who had clearly watched too many war movies, asked the defendant in German- accented English.