Ustawa o zawodzie tłumacza przysięgłego a tłumaczenie sądowe w Polsce

Abstract

Court interpreters play a key role in bilingual proceedings, as emphasized in Directive 2010/64/EU on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings. In Poland, the activity of court interpreters is regulated by the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator. In this paper, the current situation of court interpreting in Poland is subject to a critical reflection in the light of this legislation. The analysis shows that most Polish sworn translators do not have professional vocational preparation, and they do not feel competent in (court) interpreting. Poland, furthermore, lacks university training for court interpreters, which in turn leads to insufficient quality of interpretation. Moreover, Polish courts have difficulties in finding an interpreter, whereas sworn translators are reluctant to work in the courts. This situation is caused, in addition to the above, by low rates for interpreting, as well as the incomprehension of the nature of the interpreter’s work by many institutional representatives. Thus, it becomes possible to put forward postulates enabling optimisation of the provisions of the Act and the current situation in Poland: changes in translators training, the adaptation of the exam for court interpreters, and the verification of competences of appointed translators would contribute to improving the quality of court interpretation and to safeguarding that only professional interpreters perform court interpreting. At the same time, adequate remuneration for interpreters’ work and training of institution representatives would also have an impact on the quality of interpretation and cooperation between interpreters and authorities.