Annotated Bibliography: Chapters

This annotated bibliography was prepared by Sandra McClure in 2020.

These chapters (below) are resources that are of interest to ASL legal interpreters. The descriptive and evaluative paragraph associated with the citation conveys the quality and relevance of the resource which assists in determining if the resource is of actual interest.

Additional resources are available within this Annotated Bibliography. 

NOTE: This page was last updated November 2021.

Chapters

1. Benmaman, V. (1997). Legal interpreting by any other name is still legal interpreting. In Carr, Silvana E., Roberts, Roda, Dufour, Aideen, & Steyn, Dini (Eds.), The critical link: Interpreters in the community: Papers from the first international conference on interpreting in legal, health and social service settings (pp. 179-190). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
   
   Key Words: types of legal interpreting, training, knowledge, court, interpreter, settings, context
   
   This paper draws distinctions between interpreting in a court and other legal contexts, but argues that certain skills are necessary for interpreters, regardless of specific legal context.
   
   Link to Book Information: https://benjamins.com/catalog/btl.19.19ben
   
   
2. Mikkelson, H. (2008). Evolving views of the court interpreter´s role: Between Scylla and Charybdis. In Carmen Valero-Garcés and Anne Martin (Eds.), Crossing borders in community interpreting: Definitions and dilemmas (pp. 81–97). Benjamins Translation Library.
   
   Key Words: court, interpreter, role
   
   This paper examines the need for interpreter neutrality in an adversarial setting and the limitations imposed on interpreters ability to convey the full meaning of culture-bound terms. The article includes some suggested guidelines for navigating the treacherous waters between the Scylla of literal interpretation and the Charybdis of active intervention in the communicative event.
   
   Link to Book Information: https://benjamins.com/catalog/btl.76.05mik
   
   
3. Napier, J. (2012). Here or there? An assessment of video remote sign language interpreter-mediated interaction in court. In S. Braun, & J. Taylor (Eds.), Videoconference and remote interpreting in criminal proceedings (pp.167-214). Cambridge: Intersentia.
   
   Key Words: court settings, sign language interpreting, remote interpreting, ethnographic methods
   
   This study looks at how audio-video technologies can be used to facilitate courtroom interactions. The study tests five different courtroom role play configurations, each configuration explores the particular considerations needed when either the interpreter and/or the deaf person is connected via audio-video link to the court proceedings. The results include a comprehensive list of considerations and recommendations concerning ergonomic conditions, technical issues, skills development and training.
   
   *Not Available
   
   
4. Napier, J., & Spencer, D. (2008).Guilty or not guilty? An investigation of deaf jurors’ access to court proceedings via sign language interpreting. In D. Russell, & S. Hale (Eds.), Interpreting in legal settings (pp. 71-122). Washington: Gallaudet University Press.
   
   Key Words: jury, deaf, legal, court
   
   In Australia, and most other countries Deaf people are still excluded from serving as jurors. This article investigates investigation a Deaf jurors’ access to court proceedings through sign language interpreting and suggests that Deaf people who are fluent in English can access written evidence, however they cannot hear the proceedings.
   
   Link to Book Information: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/guilty-or-not-guilty-an-investigation-of-deaf-jurors-access-to-co
   
   
5. Schweda-Nicholson, N. (1994). Professional ethnics for court and community interpreters. In D.L. Hammond (Ed.), Professional issues for translators and interpreters (pp. 79-98). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.
   
   Key Words: court settings, ethics, professionalization
   
   This article discusses the function and relevance of codes of ethics for court and community interpreters by analyzing eleven codes of ethics from different organizations and countries that include both spoken and sign languages. Emphasis is placed on the role that the codes of ethics play in the interpreting practice and in the efforts towards professionalization.
   
   Link to Book Information: https://doi.org/10.1075/ata.vii.10sch