Legal translation is a translation method generally used to prevent loss of rights in regulating legal relations with the state, in matters of rights and law, or in the context of crime and punishment. Documents such as court decisions, the offences of individuals and the penalties to be imposed, and the procedures to be followed to protect our rights in another country are clarified through legal translation. Legal translation generally covers legal texts, documents and scholarly articles. Legal translation is among the most widely used types of translation in international relations.
What Should Be Considered in Legal Translation?
If a text or document is to be translated for legal purposes, interpretation must never be used. The translator must translate the original text word for word, taking into account the written and spoken language of the target language and the jargon and terms used. Legal texts are not interpreted because there must never be any room for error in them. Our İyiTercüme team translates your legal texts and documents faithfully to the original, paying attention to the equivalents of legal terms. By staying completely true to the text, we prevent different meanings from being inferred. For legal translation to be carried out properly, the legal jargon of both sides must be well known. In this sense, the translator must have both linguistic and legal knowledge. Since legal systems differ from country to country, the legal system applied in each country must be researched and sufficient knowledge must be acquired on the subject. The concepts of impartiality and justice, the cornerstones of law, must also be taken into account during translation. The translated text must be completely impartial, fact-based and prepared with reference to legal texts.
Unlike other translations, legal translation uses a more formal language. The main aim here is not the mutual understanding of the texts, but making it easier for the other party, who also has legal knowledge, to understand. For example, translating a court text setting out the penalty for a crime committed by a person in a foreign country, the procedure to be applied and the person's rights into a language that lawyers in the person's own country can understand falls within the scope of legal translation. For this reason, our İyiTercüme team works with knowledgeable, experienced and meticulous translators who are professionally qualified in both law and languages.
In Which Areas Is Legal Translation Used?
Every state has established its own legal system. Although countries introduce certain legal rules to maintain order in society and form the basis of justice, these rules may conflict with those of another country when applied to international relations. Legal translation supports us in establishing common legal principles in mutual relations. Often, the reason a company or firm becomes recognised and accepted in the international arena is that it has developed a common legal language and complies with the legal structure of most countries. In this context, since most commercial agreements may lead to changes in legal rights, the other country needs to understand these rules from a well-translated text. Otherwise, an irreversible commercial agreement that could harm the country's legal and justice system might be signed. For this reason, professional legal translation services should be used, especially in commercial relations, to prevent harm to rights.
Legal translation is also preferred by citizens going abroad to work. Individuals who need to apply for a visa at the consulate of the country where they will work should be provided with legal translation services immediately. Accurate and timely translation of documents such as visas and passports makes it easier for people to obtain work and residence permits.
In today's world, legal translation is also frequently used between countries that are interdependent through imports and exports. Translation of export and import permits and of texts containing commercial documents and procedures is of great importance for obtaining permits from the relevant authorities and facilitating commercial relations. It should not be overlooked that tourists visiting our country also make use of legal translation in particular. Likewise, as the İyiTercüme family, we support our citizens travelling abroad in this regard.
Clients who use our legal translation service, whether corporate or individual, receive fast and reliable service, and great importance is attached to the confidentiality of personal information.
Which Documents Require Legal Translation?
Translating legal texts written in different languages into another language is quite difficult. These texts, drawn up on the basis of each country's own legal system, sometimes have no exact equivalent in the other country. Here, the legal translator must stay completely away from interpretation and, relying on legal documents, produce the most accurate translation possible. A translator's in-depth knowledge of law and legislation increases the accuracy of the translation. Legal translation is used for many documents; immigration documents are one example. Since an immigrant usually does not speak the native language of the destination country, a complete translation of the texts listing the documents required by that country for immigration will make things easier for them. Legal translation is also preferred for financial documents because it avoids interpretation and fully reflects the facts. Legal translation services are also recommended for people planning to go abroad, for documents showing their marital status, marriage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, and diplomas or certificates showing their educational background. Legal translation is also used in patent documents that companies and businesses obtain for newly launched products. Legal translators are used for court decisions concerning the fate of people who have committed a crime in one country while being citizens of another, and for the texts containing these decisions. Legal translation;
- Legal / judicial document translation.
- Interpreting in lawyer / client meetings.
- Written translation and interpreting in power of attorney transactions.
- Sworn translation services.
- It also provides support with interpreting at correctional institutions and in lawyer / client meetings.
Frequently Asked Questions
The list of legal translation types can be very long, but the most requested ones are translations of contracts, signature circulars, identity cards, non-disclosure agreements, commercial correspondence and visa documents.
When documents are used in court proceedings, they also become official documents in the legal field, and when such official documents require professional translation services, they are handled under legal translation. Legal translation methods are generally used for the enforcement of court decisions or laws between two foreign countries.
No. A sworn translator cannot translate their own documents. In other words, the translated document cannot be used as an official document for other procedures.
When sworn translators translate their own documents, these documents cannot be notarized. This is strictly prohibited under Article 76 of the Turkish Notaries Law.
All kinds of employment contracts, licence documents, legal agreements, identity cards, marriage certificates, Court of Cassation decisions, recruitment documents, articles of association, acquittals, petitions, deeds, reports, wills, court documents, judgments, student certificates, laws, powers of attorney, notarial certifications and so on. All of these texts are considered legal texts.