Ichihashi trial bares translation woes | The Japan Times Online.
The law stipulates that when a defendant or witness does not speak Japanese, the court is required to hire an interpreter proficient in the language used by the parties involved.
“The court should always appoint two interpreters, and both should be highly skilled,” said Makiko Mizuno, a professor at Kinjo Gakuin University and a specialist in linguistic analysis of court interpretations.
“Having two translators is necessary because not only can they take turns but also catch errors and confer over which phrases to use for certain things that are said during testimony,” she said.
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