The Qualitas Project complements and furthers the work done on previous EU projects. Its main objective is to enhance the ability of Member States to ensure reliable interpreting services to the legal system. This can best be achieved by providing the correct tools to adequately identify individuals who possess the knowledge and skills needed to assist individuals who find themselves involved in legal proceedings and do not share the official language of the court.
The Qualitas project specifically addresses the issues raised in articles 2.8 and 5 of European Directive 2010/64/EU on the Right to Interpretation and Translation in Criminal Proceedings which states that interpreting services must be of “a quality sufficient to safeguard the fairness of the proceedings.”
This publication reflects the deliberations of a panel of experts from the fields of legal interpreting, testing theory, and public policy who agree that the most effecive means of ensuring qualty is through testing and certification.
It addresses issues related to the assessment of the skill sets and knowledge required to ensure high quality legal inteprerting and offers practical guidance and advice on the design and administration of a valid and reliable certification process.