Exploring the role of court interpreters in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, court interpreters are guided by the professional ethics (Code of Ethics). This has resulted in magistrates and judges not forming their own opinions as to what the role of court interpreters is but to make it easier for both parties to understand each other’s role. As such, court interpreters do not find themselves performing tasks that are outside their scope of duties. This study employs a qualitative research methodology. To provide answers, one on one interviews, participant observation and document analysis were used to collect data in the Durban Magistrate Court. Durban, the location of the research, is an urban area situated in Southern KwaZulu-Natal. The aim of the present study is to explore how court interpreters enact their roles based on professional ethics (code of ethics) in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The researcher followed the interpretivism approach. In the top-down approach, two legislations, namely, “The court interpreters code of conduct” and “The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 93 of 1996 (as amended)”, were examined to determine if court interpreters understand their role and to what extent? In the bottom-up approach, examples of court proceedings were studied in order to determine specific roles that are played by court interpreters during trials. Extracts from transcripts of mechanically recorded court interpreter’s interviews were also analysed. This study will shed lighter on the role of court interpreters which could lead to improved interpreting.