Expertise sharing in the field of court translating and interpreting

Abstract

This article focuses on the challenges of multilingual court work in Finland. First, it argues for the need of shared expertise and multiprofessional collaboration in the field of legal translating and court interpreting. This claim is justified by a short description of a previous analysis of legal translation, by some recent interviews, by a survey, and by the theory of situated learning and legitimate peripheral participation. Second, the article describes a problematic multilingual session in a Finnish district court on the basis of a transcribed hearing. Finally, the article makes some suggestions for the development of the current situation of court interpreting and legal translating in Finland.