NEW LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR COURT INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATION IN SPAIN FOLLOWING DIRECTIVE 2010/64/EU

Abstract

The situation at present is that virtually anybody can interpret in Spanish courts and police stations. Interpreting and translation services in criminal proceedings are provided in two ways: staff translators and interpreters (who have passed an official selection process) and freelancers who work for companies that won public contracts. Spanish Organic Act 5/2015 transposing Directive 2010/64/EU states that only translators and interpreters included in the Official Register can work for the police and the courts service. However, the legislation due to implement this register has yet to be enacted.

This new legislation includes a variety of new developments that will presumably lead to an increase in the workload for translators and interpreters without equipping them with the necessary means or resources, in addition to having other all-too-foreseeable consequences regarding the implementation of the recently passed legislation.