Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 9 - COURTS (§§ 9-1-1 — 9-27-21) › Chapter 21 - ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF COURTS (§§ 9-21-1 — 9-21-101) › ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS TO ESTABLISH PROGRAM FOR USE OF INTERPRETERS IN ALL COURTS (§§ 9-21-71 — 9-21-81) › Section 9-21-71 - Definitions

The following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
(a)
Limited English Proficient (LEP) individual means any party or witness who cannot readily understand or communicate in spoken English or who does not speak English as his or her primary language and who consequently has a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English and cannot equally participate in or benefit from the proceedings unless an interpreter is available to assist the individual. The fact that a person for whom English is a second language knows some English does not prohibit that individual from being allowed to have an interpreter.
(b)
"Court interpreter" means any person authorized by a court who is competent to translate or interpret oral or written communication in a foreign language during court proceedings. A court interpreter may be one (1) of the following:
(i)
"Certified court interpreter," which means an interpreter who successfully has met all requirements promulgated by the Administrative Office of Courts to be designated a registered court interpreter and has scored at least seventy percent (70%) on each of the three (3) sections of an approved criterion-referenced oral performance examination.
(ii)
"Registered court interpreter," which means an interpreter who has:
1.
Attended an approved two-day, fourteen-hour ethics and skill building workshop;
2.
Passed an approved criterion-referenced written examination with a minimum overall score of eighty percent (80%);
3.
Submitted to a criminal background check;
4.
Provided verification of legal right to work in the United States;
5.
Executed the Interpreter Oath; and
6.
Satisfied any additional requirements that the Administrative Office of Courts may establish in order to be listed as a registered court interpreter on the roster.
(iii)
"Non-credentialed interpreter," which means an interpreter who has not met the requirements promulgated by the Administrative Office of Courts to be classified as a registered or certified court interpreter.
(c)
"Court proceedings" means a proceeding before any court of this state or a grand jury hearing, including all civil and criminal hearings and trials.
(d)
"Interpretation" means the accurate and complete unrehearsed transmission of an oral message from one (1) language to an oral message in another language. Interpretation may be one (1) of the following:
(i)
"Consecutive interpretation," which means providing the target-language message after the speaker has finished speaking.
(ii)
"Sight translation," which means oral translation of a written document.
(iii)
"Simultaneous interpretation," which means providing the target-language message at approximately the same time the source-language message is being produced.
(e)
"Source language" means the input language requiring interpretation.
(f)
"Target language" means the output language into which the utterance is being interpreted.
(g)
"Translation" means the process of translating text from one (1) language to another to maintain the original message and communication.
Laws, 2006, ch. 569, § 1, eff. 7/1/2006.
Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 355, HB 1217,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.