The United States is a diverse country with many different languages spoken. While many American people are bilingual or multilingual, some residents know little to no English. If they ever get involved in a legal proceeding, they bring a language barrier along with them. You can only conquer this barrier with a deposition interpreter.
Some unique rules and standards must be followed when you use interpreters at depositions. These rules are usually established by the local city and state of where the deposition takes place. A deposition interpreter’s overall responsibility is to provide an accurate interpretation regardless of which words are spoken. All the interpreted statements are entered into official legal records and used as evidence in a court of law.
For this reason, deposition interpreters and attorneys must abide by the general rules of an interpreted deposition. Sometimes there can be actual legal consequences for anyone who fails to do so.
Below are the top 5 deposition interpreter rules.
1) No Changing Words
A deposition interpreter is expected to translate the exact words of verbal or written statements at a deposition. They are not allowed to edit statements or add new information to them.
The interpreter must give an accurate word-for-word interpretation of the languages spoken. They wouldn’t get away with changing the words because both the foreign language and the interpreted English language get recorded. Someone could always review the records and see if any interpreted statements were apparently changed on purpose.
2) Terminology Specialization
A deposition interpreter needs to specialize in interpreting industry-specific terminologies, such as law or medicine. It all depends on the nature of the deposition and the details of the case involved.
For instance, if the deposition relates to a legal proceeding revolving around medical malpractice, then a deposition interpreter with knowledge of medical terminology will be required. If the legal terminology needs to be interpreted, a separate interpreter with these skills might be required.
3) No Over talking or Fast Talking
The deposition interpreter needs time to listen to the person speaking and repeat the interpreted version of their words. No one should talk over the interpreter or interrupt their translation because it will be more difficult for them to do their job correctly. One person should speak at a time, followed by the interpreter’s translation of the words.
Failure to follow this rule might create an inaccurate or incomplete interpretation of all the words spoken. If any person or attorney intentionally spoke over the interpreter, they might face legal consequences or warnings. The interpreter would not be blamed in this type of situation, though.
4) Certified Interpreters Only
An attorney cannot choose just any interpreter to translate words in a deposition. It needs to be a certified interpreter who received their certification from an accredited organisation. An official certification proves the interpreter is knowledgeable in their field because they received the proper education to do the job right.
If you were to use an uncertified interpreter for your deposition, their translations’ validity might face scrutiny in court by the opposing side. Do not let yourself fall into that trap. A certified interpreter is the best way to avoid any disputes about interpretation validity.
5) Respect Ethical Guidelines
Deposition interpreters have to respect specific ethical guidelines of the deposition. For instance, the interpreters must remain unbiased and impartial at all times. There cannot be any conflict of interest whatsoever. Interpreters have the follow the same ethical guidelines as court reporters and stenographers.
Like Languagers, we know Confidentiality is important. Deposition interpreters have an obligation not to discuss what happened at the deposition unless they get permission to do so.