| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The main purpose of this study is the clarification of the present situation in and problems related to legal translation and interpretation, from the perspective of language. To this end, I carried out group interviews with professional legal translators and interpreters. The points at issue included the accuracy of translation/interpretation, the role of the translator/interpreter, wireless interpreting systems, the problems caused by either language systems or the inherent differences of each court, the effects of societal or cultural differences, the impact of training systems, the role of professional qualifications and standards, and issues related to payment and pay scales for translators and interpreters.
The results of this study revealed that even though the function of the translating/interpreting service should be to guarantee the defendant the right to a fair legal hearing, the translators/interpreters' function may be seen in an entirely different light by the institution of the court - that is, as a way to smooth the progress of the hearing. This situation, in combination with the structurally weak position of the translator/interpreter leads to an accumulation of other problems for the defendant.
Additionally, I looked into the recent history of the administration of the judicial process in Japan by investigating three cases in the legal records which involved foreigners and where accuracy in translation and fairness in the legal process appeared to be at issue. To this end, I focused on how the people concerned with the administration of justice might evaluate the language proficiency of both the translator/interpreter and the accused.
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