Interpreters and Mediation
Interpreters and Mediation
Interpreters are attending more and more mediations and the role of the interpreter in the mediation is one that continues to develop in North Carolina. Frequently the interpreter is someone from the plaintiff’s attorney’s office who is skilled in translating and in whom the plaintiff’s counsel has confidence in correctly communicating with the client. Other times the interpreter is someone who has been hired by one of the parties and neither side really knows the interpreter or the interpreter’s qualifications. Another common practice is that the non-English speaking party brings a neighbor, friend or family member to translate.
As the use of interpreters increases, questions that the parties and the mediator need to address include: What qualifications should the interpreter have? Is the common practice of use of office staff or family member sufficient? If one party brings a family member, should the other party have an interpreter who listens to make sure that the translation is accurate? If someone from the outside is brought in to interpret, who should pay the costs for the translation?
Requiring certification for mediation interpreters would of course increase the cost of mediation, ultimately, for all the parties and at the present time would not be appropriate. However, as the use of interpreters increases, focus by the participants in mediation on who should conduct the translations and the effectiveness of this practice needs to be addressed.
Comments are closed.