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The Jurisprudence and Administration of Legal Interpreting in Hong Kong (1966–2016)

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Abstract

Legal interpreting and translation are some of the oldest and most frequently practised bilingual activities in Hong Kong. The principles and operation of the bilingual legal system actually impinge on the legal interpreting services and the practices of legal interpreting services also in ways impact on the system itself. This study adopts a historical approach to analyse the jurisprudence and administration of legal interpreting in Hong Kong courts from 1966 to 2016 (half a century), across the 1997 dividing line between British colonial rule and the return of Hong Kong to the government of mainland China. It focuses on the opinions of judges and other participants in courtroom proceedings as recorded in Hong Kong case reports. It is discovered that the jurisprudence of having an interpreter to interpret for participants who do not speak the language of the court is clearly indicated and well versed in the precedents. However, there is a gap between the jurisprudence and the actual interpreting services, mainly caused by the malpractices of the concerned administration department(s) and some of the law enforcement agents working in the frontline.

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Notes

  1. The Hong Kong Legal Information Institute website is a project that participates in the ‘free access to law’ movement, which is a project of the ‘Law & Technology Centre, a centre jointly established by Department of Computer Science and Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong.’ HKLII has collected all the case reports of the Court of Final Appeal, Court of Appeal, Court of First Instance, District Court, Family Court, Lands Tribunal, Other Courts and Tribunals, and all Ordinances, Basic Laws, and discussion papers and reports of the Law Reform Commission, etc. (For details, refer to the website: www.hklii.hk).

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Statutes and regulations cited

  1. The Canadian Bill of Rights, R.S.C. 1985, App. III. S. 2(g).

  2. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

  3. Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 213 U.N.T.S. 221, art. 6(3)(e).

  4. D of the Immigration Ordinance Cap. 115.

  5. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 999 U.N.T.S. 171, art. 14(3)(f).

  6. Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

  7. Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance (Cap 383).

  8. The Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap 221).

  9. Legal Aid in Criminal Cases Rules (Cap 221D).

Websites

  1. Hong Kong Legal Information Institute: www.hklii.hk, last accessed June 7, 2017.

  2. Hansard: www.lego.gov.hk.

  3. Department of Justice of Hong Kong: http://www.doj.gov.hk.

  4. Indian Census: www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-documents/lsi/lsi_Rajasthan/4_introduction.pdf.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translation Programme, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

    Ester S. M. Leung

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  1. Ester S. M. Leung
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Correspondence to Ester S. M. Leung.

Appendix: Correspondence from the public records office

Appendix: Correspondence from the public records office

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Leung, E.S.M. The Jurisprudence and Administration of Legal Interpreting in Hong Kong (1966–2016). Int J Semiot Law 32, 95–116 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-017-9535-8

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