What is a Court Interpreter?

The court interpreter plays an essential role in civil society, by enabling people who speak many languages to participate in legal and other government processes. Court interpretation is a demanding intellectual exercise, whose practitioners require extensive training and a finely-honed ethical sense in addition to a thorough knowledge of languages.

Court interpreters are required to be faithful, accurate and impartial, not only in criminal trials - their most high- profile work, where the Supreme Court of Canada recently reaffirmed these key expectations - but also in the many situations where professional assistance is required to cross the language barrier.

These situations include private litigation (such as examinations and depositions) as well as public proceedings, both judicial (criminal and civil trials), and administrative (immigration and refugee cases, workers' compensation hearings, parole boards, etc.).

The quality of court interpreters' work is guaranteed by their professional certification, sanctioned by the legally- protected title of Certified Court Interpreter. The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO) is the only professional association in Ontario empowered by law to confer this title. This title, together with the ATIO Code of Ethics which all Certified Court Interpreters are bound to follow, is your guarantee of excellence and integrity.

A Certified Court Interpreter is an experienced professional, who combines extensive knowledge of relevant fields with mastery of her or his working languages and proven ability in diverse situations. In addition, Certified Court Interpreters are governed by exacting professional rules, including complete impartiality, absolute confidentiality of all information obtained in connection with their work, and continuing professional development.

ATIO's Certified Court Interpreters work in a number of languages. For additional information on their services, and to obtain the directory of ATIO members, contact the Association's Secretariat.

The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario offers you a guarantee of professional quality. For your court interpretation needs, using the services of ATIO Certified Court Interpreters is your best assurance of faithful, accurate and ethical communication.