What happens when a defendant feels the legal translation provided by an interpreter of his or her statements to officials was incorrect? Can a criminal defendant confront and cross-examine the interpreter who provided a translation of his or her out-of-court statements? This is a very complicated issue that further illustrates the criticality of legal translations. […]
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Jurilinguistics – an Important Concept for Legal Translations
It’s not groundbreaking news that legal translation requires the assistance of professionals with proven expertise in both law and translation. In fact, there’s a term in the profession that encapsulates the challenges and recommended methods to properly conduct legal translations: “jurilinguistics.” What is Jurilinguistics? The term was first used by Jean-Claude Gémar in a Canadian […]
Language Justice for Marginalized Communities
For those of us speaking, writing, and reading English in a country where English is the prevalent language, it’s easy to overlook how much we benefit from fluency. We take it for granted that if we received a parking ticket, a court summons, or needed to apply for Medicare we would know what to do […]
Are You Looking for a Certified Legal Translator?
Translating legal documents requires an especially high level of accuracy and knowledge. Because of that, many individuals and legal representatives search for a “certified legal translator.” While obtaining certified work is critical, searching for a certified translator is a bit confusing. Here’s why: There is no such thing as a “certified legal translator” in the […]
Trustworthy Translations are Integral to Foreign Language Real Estate Transactions
Demand for translation services by real estate professionals is growing, and one look at our economy shows why. The dream of homeownership has become more attainable for populations worldwide, and their desires to own a home abroad have grown immensely. In 2020 in the United States, mortgage rates remained low putting the demand for homes […]
How Do You Know You Have an Accurate Translation?
When providing legal translations, accurate translation is absolutely critical. Even slight errors in translating words and phrases can create miscommunications that end up destroying business commitments or invalidating official documents. Take for example the seemingly simple legal structure of marriage. While these countries may have similar cultural norms around the concept of marriage, the legal parameters […]
Accuracy in Patent Translations is Critical
Obtaining an accurate translation of materials related to a patent application is critical. Not only is it complicated to determine when and if errors can be corrected, but a patent approved with incorrect information leads to enforcement difficulties or even a worthless document. According to authors Theo Grunewald and Alexander J Wurzer, “In a globalised […]
Legal Translations Require Heightened Responsibilities
An obvious responsibility of a translator is to provide a thorough and accurate rendering of an original document to a translated version. Furthermore, choosing a professional organization familiar with the legal operations within the original country or culture as well as that of the country requiring the translation will help to ensure the original intent […]
How Even Simple Terms Can Create Complications in Legal Translations
Legal translations are challenging for a number of reasons, but perhaps one of the most critical is the need for the purpose, meaning, and actionable content of the translated document to accurately reflect the intentions of the original. Due to cultural differences and variations in languages, a simple word-for-word decoding is insufficient and can result […]
Challenges of Legal Equivalence in Translations
Translation of legal documentation requires a higher degree of experience and sophistication due to the nature of the work. Errors in legal translation do not merely cause confusion as a poorly translated literary work would; these errors can create misunderstandings that result in improperly executed contracts or have severe consequences in court proceedings. One such […]