Multidisciplinary dialogue in gender violence: legal professionals and interpreters

Communication in the legal world can be difficult even when the interlocutors speak the same language. Laypersons, unversed in the law, are, unlike legal players, ignorant of legal concepts, unfamiliar with legal parlance and feel that they are in a situation of inferiority before the ceremonials of different judicial proceedings. International, European and national legislation on procedural safeguards and their implementing regulations include the obligation to supply quality legal interpreting and translation services that can guarantee effective and efficient communication. The quality actually required by these precepts is an undetermined legal concept that calls for a multidisciplinary review by jurists, linguists, translators and interpreters. To properly comply with the aforementioned precepts, it is vital that these players are aware of the communicative needs of victims and the peculiarities of communication through interpreters. This article presents the results of a number of research works on judicial interpreting and translation and raises the need to adopt urgent training and awareness-raising measures for justice system staff, particularly the judges and magistrates who conduct proceedings and who are obliged to ensure the safeguarding of the different rights recognised by national, community and international law in respect of both victims and the accused.