Legal translation in Germany, Austria, European countries
Thread poster: PARIS BASED
PARIS BASED
PARIS BASED
Local time: 01:24
French to Arabic
+ ...
Oct 10, 2017

Dear everyone,

We are launching a study about legal translation in Europe. Can you please write in comments how the recruitment takes place in your country. What are the requirements at the Ministry of Justice if each of your countries in order to become a legal translator. This question concerns translators as individuals. Does the authority in need of a translator have the right to contact someone who is not a translator in order to translate at a pilice station under written swor
... See more
Dear everyone,

We are launching a study about legal translation in Europe. Can you please write in comments how the recruitment takes place in your country. What are the requirements at the Ministry of Justice if each of your countries in order to become a legal translator. This question concerns translators as individuals. Does the authority in need of a translator have the right to contact someone who is not a translator in order to translate at a pilice station under written sworn agreement?

Please give us details in order to complete this study about legal translation and translators in Europe.

Best and thanks
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 00:24
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Portugal Oct 10, 2017

In Portugal, unlike other countries, there are no sworn translators. To certify a translation, so that a translated document is legally valid, it is necessary to make its certification at the organizations empowered to do so (namely Notary’s Offices and Attorneys). That is why I have been working with an attorney for the certification of my translations. He also proofreads all my legal translation work.

P.S. It would be interesting to know a little more about you, as your profile
... See more
In Portugal, unlike other countries, there are no sworn translators. To certify a translation, so that a translated document is legally valid, it is necessary to make its certification at the organizations empowered to do so (namely Notary’s Offices and Attorneys). That is why I have been working with an attorney for the certification of my translations. He also proofreads all my legal translation work.

P.S. It would be interesting to know a little more about you, as your profile doesn't say much...

[Edited at 2017-10-10 10:30 GMT]
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Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 01:24
French to English
France: translators specialising in legal translation, sworn/court certified translators Oct 10, 2017

When you say "legal" translation, I suppose you mean certified/sworn translation.

In France, you have to apply at a particular time of the year (January-February?) to your regional Court of Appeal. A Commission reviews applications once a year and decides to accept individuals for a probationary period of 3 years. The notice of acceptation/rejection is sent out in November. If accepted, you are entered on the register from 1st Janauary the following year.
it is now expected th
... See more
When you say "legal" translation, I suppose you mean certified/sworn translation.

In France, you have to apply at a particular time of the year (January-February?) to your regional Court of Appeal. A Commission reviews applications once a year and decides to accept individuals for a probationary period of 3 years. The notice of acceptation/rejection is sent out in November. If accepted, you are entered on the register from 1st Janauary the following year.
it is now expected that applicants have a certain amount of experience, have knowledge and experience of the legal system and suitable vocabulary and terminology to hand.

it used to be quite different. I appled 3 times when I lived in Brittany. I was acccepted but in form only, not in fact. I could not be entered on the register as they already had a sufficient number of FR>EN translators on the list. That was a waste of time, so I stopped applying. At that particular time, it was very strangely organised indeed. I saw a number of certified translations done by non-natives, and it was the courts who insisted that the translator worked both ways, not the translators. Also, a certain number were simply not familiar enough with legal terminology and would make some terrible mistakes. Nobody's perfect, but there are limits! The impression one got was that the courts were not aware of what was really necessary. How can they be?
At that time, and now, I believe, it is possible to be sworn in for a particular affair. I was sworn in on a number of cases.

I applied this year (end February 2017) after having been refused in 2016 for "lack of experience". I have more than 20 years' experience and university qualifications in law, and professional experience in civil litigation in the UK. I asked if they had not confused my file with anonther as the reason seemed incorrect. I was encouraged to reapply. So next month I will know!

In the meantime, an agency with which I work is waiting for me to be certified ("assermentée"). it would appear that they have a number of requests for certified work. However, I will not be accepting certified work through the agency as their rates are so low anyway, I would be a fool to "sell" that bonus via a third party.


[Edited at 2017-10-10 12:57 GMT]
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PARIS BASED
PARIS BASED
Local time: 01:24
French to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Profile updated and answer Oct 10, 2017

Thank you for your replies,

I just updated my profile, I am new to this forum even though I had created my profile since a long time now. In fact I am based in Paris, both native in Arabic and in French. I have a CELTA for English teaching and I have studied English, French and Arabic translation. I have an experience especially in legal translation. I have been working in this field for almost 9 years now, among other domains.

To go back to our discussion, I would li
... See more
Thank you for your replies,

I just updated my profile, I am new to this forum even though I had created my profile since a long time now. In fact I am based in Paris, both native in Arabic and in French. I have a CELTA for English teaching and I have studied English, French and Arabic translation. I have an experience especially in legal translation. I have been working in this field for almost 9 years now, among other domains.

To go back to our discussion, I would like to ask Portugal how someone can have the right to translate in Portugal? Anyone can make a deal with a notary public if they had a diploma in literature for example? Or there are specific requirements to become a translator?

Regarding Legal translation in France,

I totally agree with you Nikki Scott, I have seen so many translators who become "assermentée" for languages that are not their native language or even their studied languages. I have seen mistakes that cannot be tolerated in English and in Arabic. Unfortunately not everyone cares it seems.

I hope you will get your assermentation soon. Any idea when it will be? November I believe, just as you said, I don't know when exactly though.

I would like to have information regarding the requirements to become a legal translator around Europe, and how these are summoned to translate. Is it following a list at the Court? Is anyone allowed to translate under oath?

Have a nice evening
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RobinB
RobinB  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 19:24
German to English
Who is "we"? Oct 11, 2017

And what exactly is this study? I think it would be courteous for you to provide much more detailed information about your request for information and the reasons for it. This information is generally available online, after all.

 
PARIS BASED
PARIS BASED
Local time: 01:24
French to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Corteous? Oct 11, 2017

You are not obliged to answer. This is part of a university study to validate a semester. We refers to the students who are doing this project.

 
Yolande Hivart
Yolande Hivart
Austria
Local time: 01:24
Member (2016)
German to French
In Austria Oct 11, 2017

In Austria you have to apply to the regional court and provide the paper work required. If the regional court of the district you live in has a need and interest, your request will be forwarded to the court translator association. There you have to provide proof of 10 years of work as as translator AND interpreter, a bit less if you can prove a diploma of translation and interpreting. If you have been freelance you have to prove your past work through reference letters of clients which must incl... See more
In Austria you have to apply to the regional court and provide the paper work required. If the regional court of the district you live in has a need and interest, your request will be forwarded to the court translator association. There you have to provide proof of 10 years of work as as translator AND interpreter, a bit less if you can prove a diploma of translation and interpreting. If you have been freelance you have to prove your past work through reference letters of clients which must include translation AND interpreting or if you have been employed employment certificates. If you pass that stage (many don't) you get invited for a written and oral exam. On the written exam you get court definitions and terms that you have to explain, then a written translation in BOTH source and target language of some court document, then oral translation in both direction of a written tex and finally you are the interpreter of some challenging dispute where people are arguing very quickly and you have to take note and interpret at the breaks in BOTH directions.

If you pass the exam, you are welcomed and few weeks later you get a letter from the regional court to complete the registration as a court translator.

[Edited at 2017-10-11 05:46 GMT]

[Edited at 2017-10-11 05:46 GMT]
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 00:24
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Portugal Oct 11, 2017

GHAZLEH Ahmad wrote:

To go back to our discussion, I would like to ask Portugal how someone can have the right to translate in Portugal? Anyone can make a deal with a notary public if they had a diploma in literature for example? Or there are specific requirements to become a translator?


It depends entirely on the Notary or the Attorney, some are more strict than others... Good luck with your research!

Teresa

These documents might be of interest to you:
http://ec.europa.eu/translation/LID/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.PublicationContent&PBL_ID=363
http://ec.europa.eu/translation/LID/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.PublicationContent&PBL_ID=595&theme_selector=normal


[Edited at 2017-10-11 10:24 GMT]


 
PARIS BASED
PARIS BASED
Local time: 01:24
French to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you so much Oct 11, 2017

I thank you enormously Teresa.

Tell me please what is the reference of the first link

Best

Ahmad


 
sztyblewsky1997
sztyblewsky1997
English to French
+ ...
Wow Apr 14, 2018

Nikki Scott-Despaigne wrote:

When you say "legal" translation, I suppose you mean certified/sworn translation.

In France, you have to apply at a particular time of the year (January-February?) to your regional Court of Appeal. A Commission reviews applications once a year and decides to accept individuals for a probationary period of 3 years. The notice of acceptation/rejection is sent out in November. If accepted, you are entered on the register from 1st Janauary the following year.
it is now expected that applicants have a certain amount of experience, have knowledge and experience of the legal system and suitable vocabulary and terminology to hand.

it used to be quite different. I appled 3 times when I lived in Brittany. I was acccepted but in form only, not in fact. I could not be entered on the register as they already had a sufficient number of FR>EN translators on the list. That was a waste of time, so I stopped applying. At that particular time, it was very strangely organised indeed. I saw a number of certified translations done by non-natives, and it was the courts who insisted that the translator worked both ways, not the translators. Also, a certain number were simply not familiar enough with legal terminology and would make some terrible mistakes. Nobody's perfect, but there are limits! The impression one got was that the courts were not aware of what was really necessary. How can they be?
At that time, and now, I believe, it is possible to be sworn in for a particular affair. I was sworn in on a number of cases.

I applied this year (end February 2017) after having been refused in 2016 for "lack of experience". I have more than 20 years' experience and university qualifications in law, and professional experience in civil litigation in the UK. I asked if they had not confused my file with anonther as the reason seemed incorrect. I was encouraged to reapply. So next month I will know!

In the meantime, an agency with which I work is waiting for me to be certified ("assermentée"). it would appear that they have a number of requests for certified work. However, I will not be accepting certified work through the agency as their rates are so low anyway, I would be a fool to "sell" that bonus via a third party.


[Edited at 2017-10-10 12:57 GMT]


Wow. So that's why with a law degree I have never been able to get any work even transcription and now translation. Wow. I might as well have that degree repossessed or give it back to the university somehow. I can't get any work in mathematics or physics either. Again, subjects where my knowledge of the terminology is probably better than most.


 


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Legal translation in Germany, Austria, European countries







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