A Critical Discourse Analysis of Legal Discourse in English-Arabic Translations of Immigration Laws

ABSTRACT The article focused on the translation of legal discourse in international migration law and limited itself to the English-Arabic language. This study has sought to look into how such legal terms and concepts are translated from one language to another and how their intended legal meaning is preserved. The problem stated in this study was a result of the challenges that exist in translating legal texts, which involved both linguistic and cultural nuances. These were to explore the translation strategies used, to identify possible misalignments, and to examine the ideological implications of such translations. This research has therefore resorted to an eclectic model combining some aspects of translation theory with those of CDA. Results showed that translators often had problems of producing an accurate translation of legal terms, which could give rise to misinterpretation. There were also ideological biases, especially in framing migrants' rights and status. It exposed the need to have a subtle approach in translating the law.