Ensuring the integrity of key evidence after translation.

Disputes are won and lost on the facts and the law. In most international disputes, factual evidence, applicable law, or both will often be in a language that differs from that of the lawyers and adjudicators. Their knowledge and understanding of the case will thus depend entirely on how the evidence of facts and law is translated.

Evidence discovery
The impact of poor oral translation is immediately evident at hearings, and party representatives therefore usually take care that any interpreters they engage possess sufficient knowledge, skills and experience for the task. When it comes to written translation however, people tend to cut corners. That is a grave mistake.

The crucial importance of written evidence can hardly be overstated. Its relevance and value, however, is only discoverable upon translation. A proper assessment of such evidence requires its translation to meet two conditions:

1. accuracy; and
2. legibility.

Integrity of evidence after translation
Inaccurate legal translation is nothing less than distortion of evidence that can easily lead to an unfair outcome. If the translation is accurate in principle, but requires great efforts on the part of the reader to understand, it may result in the obscuring of evidence: a reader ploughing through large volumes of complex text can hardly be reproached for overlooking or misunderstanding essential information if it is presented in an unclear or poorly legible manner.

To avoid such outcomes, lawyers selecting a legal translation service should ensure that it employs professionals who possess:

1. The technical knowledge and skills necessary to accurately translate documents on the specific subject-matters of the dispute
2. The necessary writing skills to convey the meaning of such documents with clarity and legibility without jeopardising accuracy.
3. The legal knowledge and training required to understand the specific evidentiary requirements of the relevant dispute and, if necessary, translate legal documents. 

In most international disputes, legal translation professionals are ultimate the people who present the evidence to the adjudicator. Their selection and testing is not a matter to be taken lightly. 

Invitation to connect

Vocalegals’ raison d’etre is to make a difference in peace and justice in the world we live in. Our commitment to you is to give you the highest quality legal translation by legally trained translation professionals so you and your clients can rest assured that all evidence and related materials retain their probative value after translation.