The Law on Language in the European Union: Policy Development for Interpreting/Translation Services in Criminal Proceedings

Authors

  • Nancy Schweda Nicholson University of Delaware

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/ijsll.v16i1.59

Keywords:

European Union law, court interpreting and legal translation, language policy, criminal justice, Treaty of Lisbon, European Convention on Human Rights

Abstract

Membership in the European Union (EU) has grown to 27 Member States. As an arm of the Commission of the European Communities, the Directorate General: Justice, Security and Freedom is charged with setting common EU legal standards and promoting consistent compliance among all Member States. The current article examines a Proposal for a Council Framework Decision (PCFD) on Certain Procedural Rights in Criminal Proceedings. A major focus of the PCFD is the provision of language services (interpreting and translation) for individuals who do not speak the language of the court/legal system in which they find themselves. This paper traces the progress of the PCFD from its introduction in 2004 to its demise in 2007. Related topics of discussion include the European Convention on Human Rights, the Treaty of Lisbon, and additional relevant developments in the language services area. The article concludes with a look at potential future legislation.

Author Biography

  • Nancy Schweda Nicholson, University of Delaware
    Nancy Schweda Nicholson is Professor of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Legal Studies at the University of Delaware. She is widely published in the areas of interpreter training and language planning for court interpreter services. Dr. Schweda Nicholson is a member of the Committee on Court Interpreters and Legal Translation of the Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs (FIT). The late Honorable William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, appointed her to the Federal Court Interpreters Advisory Board. Prof. Schweda Nicholson is currently studying interpreter services at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

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Published

2009-09-18

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2009)

Section

Articles

License

© Equinox Publishing Ltd.

For information regarding our Open Access policy, click here.

How to Cite

Schweda Nicholson, N. (2009). The Law on Language in the European Union: Policy Development for Interpreting/Translation Services in Criminal Proceedings. International Journal of Speech, Language and the Law, 16(1), 59-90. https://doi.org/10.1558/ijsll.v16i1.59