Guide to Good Practices Relating to the Right to Translation and Interpretation of Suspected and Accused Persons

This chapter points to the importance of ensuring quality in court and law-enforcement translation and interpreting. The absence of quality could undermine fundamental rights of both victims and defendants, namely effective judicial protection, due process and even the right to the presumption of innocence. Since legal translation and interpreting quality is the axis around which Directive 2010/64/EU revolves, it is essential to ensure that translators and interpreters working in this field meet high professional standards and hold suitable qualifications in order to guarantee that quality. Best practices so that legal operators can take the necessary measures to guarantee the right to translation and interpretation will also be discussed. Likewise, the chapter includes recommendations for guiding the work of legal interpreters and translators so that they can meet the quality requirement contained in Directive 2010/64/EU.