Court interpreters in UAE sharpen their skills

In an effort to speed up disposal of cases and sharpen the skills of court translators, the Ministry of Justice conducted on Saturday, an intensive training programme for all interpreters working at various courts across the country.

This is the first time in a few years the interpreters in federal courts get an in-service training in one of the most important areas of judicial process.

'In a country where more than 175 different nationalities live together, there may arise various types of disputes, both civil and criminal. The courts are not able to hand out judgments in these cases without listening to the parties involved, and this makes the role of court translators crucial', said the chief trainer Dr. Kamil Bashir.

He asked the interpreters to be extremely careful and honest when relating to the judge, the statements of the parties in a dispute, as they are not able to express their reasoning convincingly in Arabic.

'To avoid errors in interpretation, you have to earn the skill of understanding their distinctive national and traditional ways of communication. This may sometimes necessitate to understand their body language and read their non-verbal messages', said Dr. Bashir, who holds a doctorate in English language from Britain's prestigious Exeter University.

He reminded them of the vast ethical accountability in their sensitive profession, as a mistake in translation can tamper with the evidence, and thus make the justice be lost.

'You have to find yourself in the shoes of a judge when participating in the process of courtroom trials', said Dr. Bashir Senior legal Trainer at the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies, Counsellor Ahmed Suleiman portrayed the magnitude of the accountability of a court translator saying that he is part of a mechanism administering justice.

'You are walking on a narrow road, on each side of which, rest heaven and hell', he reminded.

The training programme was organized by the Judicial Inspection Directorate at the Ministry of Justice in association with the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies based at the University City in Sharjah.

In a circular sent to various federal courts in the UAE, Director of the Judicial Inspection Department Humaid Musabbah Al Muhairi made it clear that the court interpreters should be given adequate training in legal phraseology to avoid mistakes in interpretation.

In view of the vast economic renaissance being witnessed by the country, and the increasing need for court interpreters, the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies has planned periodic training for the interpreters as part of the strategy for the human development. WAM