The promise of linguistic equity for migrants in Australian courtrooms: a cross-disciplinary perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT In human rights studies, much has been written and studied about civil, economic, political and social rights. Little has been explored about the linguistic human rights of migrants and minorities in justice-critical settings. Situated at the nexus of migration, human rights and sociolinguistic studies, this short essay walks through the current perspectives of linguistic equity for migrants and minorities in Australian interpreter-mediated courtroom encounters. The essay leaves the readers with three reflections: (1) clarifications on the use of nuanced terms such as linguistic equality and linguistic equity, (2) updated knowledge of the difficulties in achieving accuracy for migrants and minorities in court interpreting and (3) refreshed understanding of role-related practical challenges in the professional life of interpreters in court and beyond.