Interpreting Intercepted Communication: A Sui Generis Translational Activity.

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Law
• Translation Studies

Background:

• The rise of information and communication technology has increased the importance of legal wiretapping in law enforcement.
• Understanding intercepted communications is vital for successful police investigations, necessitating the role of specialized interpreters.
• The specific work of these interpreters, operating at the intersection of language and law, remains largely under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To contribute to the understanding of the translational activity of intercept interpreters.
• To address the gap in research concerning this specialized linguistic and legal field.
• To highlight the unique nature of interlingual intercept interpretation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of scarce existing studies on intercept interpretation.
• Empirical data collection through an online questionnaire for a pilot study in Switzerland.
• Focus on the perspective of intercept interpreters themselves.

Main Results:

• The field of research is fragmented due to difficulties in accessing these confidential workers.
• Intercept interpreting encompasses a wide range of activities, distinct from court or interview interpretation.
• This study is the first to present translational activity from the viewpoint of intercept interpreters.

Conclusions:

• Interlingual intercept interpretation is a unique translational activity (sui generis).
• Existing research has not adequately addressed the ethical and deontological questions surrounding intercept interpretation.
• There is a need for further transdisciplinary research into this specialized area of translation.