“The interpreter not only translated as she pleased, but also gave her own answers to the questions that lawyers were asking the witness”: Quality requirements in outsourced legal interpreting services in Spain

Abstract

Quite often the media has reflected the supposed lack of quality in the provision of legal interpreting services in Spain. And it is precisely that quest for quality and efficiency that has led the authorities to outsource such services through public tenders to private companies, some of which may indeed have been certified in compliance with certain quality standards. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to analyze whether there is an explicit mandate in those tenders as to the quality of the interpreting service to be rendered.

This article analyzes how the specifications of 16 calls for tenders launched between 2006 and 2012 address issues which would facilitate the adequate provision of legal interpreting services, such as the professional qualifications and continuous professional development of interpreters, adherence to code of ethics and good practice, or the implementation of quality control systems that monitor the service provided.