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Translating Legal Knowledge to Interested Groups

by ZircoDATA Marketing
August 11, 2015
Legal knowledge

Translations provided by legal document translation services may be necessary in certain situations. When they are, it requires exceptional knowledge on the part of the legal translator, working for professional translation services to ensure the correct meaning is conveyed in the translated document.

Sometimes, it is easy for the legal translator to find language equivalents that perform a satisfactory function but there are other times when the most suitable words or phrases are not completely equal in meaning. When this happens, the translator has to carefully analyse the context of the text or even a live situation such as a police interview or a court room proceedings before deciding on what words best fit the real meaning.

The true understanding of legal concepts and their equivalence in other languages is based upon the translator’s prior knowledge of translating similar texts and situations and how effective certain language structures have been in matching language equivalents. There is no such thing as a complete language equivalent in legal translations as situations that involve the use of legal language are so dependent on the exact context when the language is used such as a courtroom situation. If the situation in a courtroom is misinterpreted by the translator, this could have a profound effect on those involved in the courtroom event.

Translators are not able to avoid taking responsibility for translation choices and the social effects that may be borne out of their translations. There are certain events such as those that take place in police stations and law courts that are wide open to interpretation. The ideology and observations of the translator may introduce bias that may result in an inaccurate translation of events. Translators are themselves aware of the constraints of providing an accurate and unbiased translation and even constant practice in the same situations and with similar documents does not necessarily provide a blueprint for translations produced in similar situations at a later date. When looking for a good legal document translation service provider it is important to stress the importance of the accuracy of translation to the person chosen to do the job.

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ATC

The Municipal Association of Victoria’s Procurement program helps councils' source trusted suppliers that meet high standards for quality, compliance, and value. As a certified supplier, we are approved to provide professional translation services to local governments across Victoria.
ISO

ISO 17100

ISO 17100 certification is an international quality standard for translation services. It ensures that certified providers use qualified translators, follow strict revision processes, and meet defined project management and confidentiality requirements. Choosing an ISO 17100-certified service means you're getting professional, consistent, and quality-assured translations that meet global best practices.
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NAATI

NAATI certification is the official accreditation for translators in Australia, issued by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. It is required as most Australian government departments only accept translations completed by NAATI-certified professionals to ensure accuracy, authenticity, and compliance with official standards.