Sydney, Jan 18 (Inditop.com) Interpreters can literally make or break one’s prospects in the courtroom, says a latest research.
The findings indicate that untrained court interpreters can commit mistakes that lead to unjust legal outcomes.
Sandra Hale, associate professor in jurisprudence, University of Western Sydney (UWS), has examined their role in influencing the credibility of accused and their testimonies.
“When the testimony of a person who cannot speak English is required, the impression they make within the court is completely in the hands of their interpreter.
“If even the smallest change is made to the person’s style or the content of their speech, the believability of their testimony could be affected.”
“In the court of law, witnesses and defendants are judged not only on what they say, but how they say it,” says Hale.
Human beings naturally assess each other’s intelligence, credibility, personality, trustworthiness, and competence based on the way they speak, adds Hale.
“During legal proceedings, magistrates and juries may inadvertently judge the testimony of a witness or defendant based on the speech and mannerisms of the interpreter,” she says, according to a university release.
“As the perceptions of the magistrate and jury often dictate a person’s future, it is of the utmost importance that court interpreters undergo training to ensure that their interpretations of testimonies are complete and accurate.”
