Legal Interpreters’ View on the Feedback from Users: A Case Study in Bali
Authors:   Warmadewa University, Bali, Indonesia, Ana I Wayan , Susini Made ,   Warmadewa University, Bali, Indonesia, Subagia Ketut ,   Warmadewa University, Bali, Indonesia
Published: January 2024

The high volume of legal cases involving foreigners in Indonesia underscores the necessity for proficient legal interpreters, as not all foreigners possess a fluent command of the Indonesian language. As a result, the presence of legal interpreters is essential to aid foreigners navigating the legal system. The initial phase of research, which assessed the effectiveness and user experiences of legal interpreters in assisting foreigners throughout the legal proceedings, revealed that police officers engaged two categories of interpreters: ad hoc and professional interpreters. Ad hoc interpreters are temporary interpreters enlisted for specific purposes such as reporting or particular activities. These interpreters may include individuals like tour guides, drivers, spouses of foreigners, family members, and even household staff. On occasion, police officers also utilized colleagues, fellow officers, prosecutors, or lawyers proficient in English to act as legal interpreters. In contrast, professional interpreters often possess certification from reputable institutions, such as universities, translators' associations, or English language colleges, ensuring a strong command of English. According to perspectives from police officers, prosecutors, and lawyers, ad hoc interpreters tend to lack linguistic expertise and interpreting skills, leading to subpar interpretation quality. Conversely, professional interpreters exhibit superior linguistic knowledge and are largely proficient in interpreting, resulting in significantly improved interpretation services compared to ad hoc options. Legal practitioners who employ professional interpreters find their assistance invaluable. However, from the viewpoint of detainees, in-house interpreters or interpreters associated with law offices have a tendency to cast suspicion on the foreigners they assist and may steer them toward confessing to what the lawyers desire. Based on the results and discussion, it has been determined that non-professional interpreters correspond to the ad hoc interpreters as described in the initial year of research. The interpreters of this category engage in interpretation tasks only occasionally, typically ranging from 1 to 4 instances over a span of 1 to 2 years. Professional interpreters, on the contrary, are skilled language mediators proficient in English, possessing expertise in various interpreting methods, especially in legal contexts. They are affiliated with professional associations and boast over three years of practical experience. Out of a group of 10 proficient interpreters who responded to the questionnaires, three are employed full-time, while the remaining seven operate as independent freelancers. Among the three full-time interpreters, one is stationed in-house. However, these interpreters did not completely concur with the feedback provided by users. Out of the fifteen feedback points submitted by users, a majority believed that the feedback was somewhat inaccurate. Nonetheless, some points were acknowledged for valid reasons: Firstly, considering the high volume of cases presented at the police office, the interpreters might not be well-versed in all the requisite legal terminology. Additionally, not all legal interpreters have been involved in police office proceedings, which results in an unfamiliarity with interrogation methods and procedures. Secondly, instances of interpreters displaying partiality and assisting foreign clients could stem from a lack of comprehension regarding the ethical guidelines governing legal interpreters. Misunderstandings might arise from payment arrangements, briefings, and directives received from supervisors (in the case of in-house interpreters) or from the police (for freelancers). The involvement of lawyers, foreigners, or the police in their compensation might lead to interpreters providing advice, suggestions, and direction for foreigners to admit certain actions. However, only a small subset of interpreters is inclined to do so, while the majority refrains from such actions.