Legal translations are one of the most popular specialist translations both for corporate and individual clients. Let’s find out a few important facts about them.
Legal translation is the type of specialist translations with language used in a legal context and for legal purposes. Among legal translations we can distinguish the ones for court (sentences, acts), translation of legislation laws, contracts, commercial law, acts regarding EU law as well as certified (sworn) translation of all listed types. Interpreting meetings regarding legal cases, for example, in company or court sessions is also a kind of legal translation as specific terminology applies.
Legal content translators are usually fluent in writing in both the source and target translation language, but what is the most important they need to be familiar with most of the legal jargon. They usually take part in numerous trainings for law translators and are graduates of post-graduate studies regarding law. The reason is the terminology specifics which is not the easiest. Legal terminology dictionaries are a great help as well.
There are significant issues we might encounter in the legal documents translation process. Firstly, legal document usually contain sensitive and confidential data and the legal translator as well as the Translation Agency needs to assure the highest data confidentiality. Revealing confidential information might lead to numerous issues both for the translator, agency as well as the client.
Secondly, law content documents sometimes have spelling mistakes especially in proper names in the source text. We often encounter spelling mistakes in names, surnames and addresses, especially in documents from foreign courts regarding Polish citizens, as our names and surnames are not the easiest to spell. The rule is that the mistakes in the source text are usually not corrected in the target translation (unless the client asks so), but the translator should notify the client about them or add significant info with the suggested proper spelling in the translation, but in its annotations part.
Thirdly, new legal cases and law changes appear in each country every day so that the legal translators need to keep up with them by reading a lot of new law regulations and taking part in regular trainings and reading law press.
Certified or sworn translation is a totally different story, but just to hint at the topic, the sworn translations are usually required in some countries for some courts, administrative divisions, procedures, etc. Certified translation is no better or worse regarding quality compared to standard non-certified regular legal translations. Their only specifics is that the translator passes special exam organised by the Ministry of Justice or its equivalent in another country, and is listed on special sworn translators list for a specific country and language pair. The sworn translations – also called notary ones – are always printed and have the translator’s stamps on them. The difference between a regular and certified translator is that the sworn one is a profession of public trust like a judge or doctor, for example, and that they need to note all translations and their number in their register.
As you can see, translating legal content is not a piece of cake, as there are numerous types, the content is usually highly confidential, the law is changing all the time and the terminology is very specific. The best option to translate your legal content accordingly is to use an experienced translation agency with access to numerous experienced, law-specified translators and will assure confidentially of the documents.
(M.K.)
