ATTACHMENT I0.2

Standards for Performance and Professional Responsibility for Contract Court

Interpreters in the Federal Courts

Preamble

Federally certified court interpreters are highly skilled professionals who

bring to the judicial process specialized language skills, impartiality, and

propriety in dealing with parties, counsel, the court, and the jury. All

contract court interpreters, regardless of certification, are appointed to serve

the court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1827. When interpreters are sworn in they

become, for the duration of the assignment, officers of the court with the

specific duty and responsibility of interpreting between English and the

language specified. In their capacity as officers of the court, contract court

interpreters are expected to follow the Standards for Performance and

Professional Responsibility for Contract Court Interpreters in the Federal

Courts.

1: Accuracy and Completeness

Interpreters shall render a complete and accurate interpretation or sight translation that

preserves the level of language used without altering, omitting, or adding anything to

what is stated or written, and without explanation. The obligation to preserve accuracy

includes the interpreter's duty to correct any error of interpretation discovered by the

interpreter during the proceeding.

2: Representation of Qualifications

Interpreters shall accurately and completely represent their certifications, training, and

pertinent experience.

3: Impartiality, Conflicts of Interest, and Remuneration and Gifts 

Impartiality. Interpreters shall be impartial and unbiased and shall refrain from conduct

that may give an appearance of bias. During the course of the proceedings, interpreters

shall not converse with parties, witnesses, jurors, attorneys, or with friends or relatives of

any party, except in the discharge of their official functions.

Conflicts of Interest. Interpreters shall disclose any real or perceived conflict of interest,

including any prior involvement with the case, parties, witnesses or attorneys, and shall

not serve in any matter in which they have a conflict of interest.
Remuneration and Gifts. Court interpreters shall accept remuneration for their service to

the court only from the court. Court interpreters shall not accept any gifts, gratuities, or

valuable consideration from any litigant, witness, or attorney in a case in which the

interpreter is serving the court, provided, however, that when no other court interpreters

are available, the court may authorize court interpreters working for the court to provide

interpreting services to, and receive compensation for such services from, an attorney in

the case.

4. Professional Demeanor

In the course of their service to the court, interpreters shall conduct themselves in a

manner consistent with the dignity of the court and shall be as unobtrusive as possible.

5: Confidentiality

Interpreters shall protect the confidentiality of all privileged and other confidential

information.

6: Restriction of Public Comment

Interpreters shall not publicly discuss, report, or offer an opinion concerning a matter in

which they are or have been engaged, even when that information is not privileged or

required by law to be confidential.

7: Scope of Practice

Interpreters shall limit themselves to interpreting or translating, and shall not give legal

advice, express personal opinions to individuals for whom they are interpreting, or engage

in any other activities which may be construed to constitute a service other than

interpreting or translating while serving as an interpreter.

8: Assessing and Reporting Impediments to Performance

Interpreters shall assess at all times their ability to deliver their services. When interpreters

have any reservation about their ability to satisfy an assignment competently, they shall

immediately convey that reservation to the appropriate judicial authority.

9: Duty to Report Ethical Violations

Interpreters shall report to the proper judicial authority any effort to impede their

compliance with any law, any provision of these Standards, or any other official policy

governing court interpreting and legal translating.