INTERPRETING IN THE HALL OF JUSTICE: CHALLENGES AND EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR COURT INTERPRETERS

Abstract In the Hall of Justice, a court interpreter is an essential team member who facilitates smooth communication at all stages and phases of the process. Therefore, this research investigates the court interpreter's role and provides strategies and practical educational guidelines. This research aims to critically analyze the challenges faced by court interpreters, including ensuring accuracy, neutrality, and management of technical legal language, with the hypothesis that court interpreters have great difficulties in these areas. A purposive sample of 30 court interpreters from Jordan was selected for using an online survey. The online survey covers various topics, including background information, language skills, challenges, professional development, types of interpretation, training, and advocacy to explore these areas. The results show that interpreters believe that their formal training is insufficient, especially in cases involving legal nuances, and they face specific technical challenges. There is a need to create specialized training in legal terminology and cultural competence workshops to improve the quality of judicial interpretation. The conclusion highlights the importance of providing such training to help court interpreters overcome the difficulties they face, especially when dealing with complex legal terminology.