Translators as Ear Witnesses: Towards Best Practice in Forensic Transcription and Translation

<p dir="ltr">Forensic translation is the task of converting audio source into written text which is used as evidence in a wide range of criminal cases. </p><p dir="ltr">In monolingual settings, forensic speech evidence plays an integral role in the legal system. However, when the audio recordings contain Languages Other Than English the speech interaction needs to be translated into English, therefore T&I practitioners are engaged to carry out the task. </p><p dir="ltr">In practice, translating poor quality recordings into English is a complex, dynamic process, which goes beyond the linguistic level. The challenging task is compounded by the lack of available training for the T&I practitioners to learn how to undertake such assignments as well as the absence of work protocols and guidelines. </p><p dir="ltr">The best practice method recommended by the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (US) for Forensic Transcription and Translation involves a two-step process (transcribing the audio content and then translating it), yet its applicability to the Australian context has not been tested. This research provides a comparative analysis of the effectiveness and limitations of the recommended two step and the direct translation approaches. It further proposes a risk-based framework to assess the impact of the errors introduced to the evidence and to evaluate the overall quality of the translated document.</p>