Interpreter Codes
Home Ethics Links Ethics Codes USA Ethics Codes Global Interpreter Codes Events,Conferences Notes & Downloads Ethics Columns Contacts

 

Home
Ethics Links
Ethics Codes USA
Ethics Codes Global
Interpreter Codes
Events,Conferences
Notes & Downloads
Ethics Columns
Contacts
A number of court systems in the US and elsewhere have adopted separate ethics codes for language interpreters working for the courts.  Because interpreter codes differ substantially from the usually broader codes related to judges and general court employees, this list is presented here as a distinct, separate category.

Recent Updates: 12 new interpreter codes added March 2007; South Carolina added April 2007; Connecticut added June 2007.

 

bullet

United States.  The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators adopted eight canons for court interpreters.

 

bullet

Arkansas.  Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary

 

bullet

California.  Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary.  Initially drafted in 1993. 

 

bullet

Colorado. Judicial Department Code of Professional Responsibility for Court Interpreters.

 

bullet

Connecticut.  Code of Professional Responsibility for Court Interpreters.  

 

bullet

Idaho.  Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary

 

bullet

Iowa.  Code of Professional Conduct for Judicial Branch Interpreters.  Adopted November 1, 2004.  This link used to go directly to the Iowa Judiciary's website, but the link was broken as of February 2008 and we can no longer find a copy posted on their site.  We're not sure if that means that the code was withdrawn or rescinded, but we've published the version previously available here.

 

bullet

Maine.     Maine Judicial Branch Interpreter Policy.  Adopted January 1, 2005. 

 

bullet

MassachusettsMassachusetts Code of Professional Conduct for Court Interpreters of the Trial Court

 

bullet

Minnesota.  Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Minnesota State Court System.  Adopted 1995.

 

bullet

New JerseyCode of Professional Conduct for Interpreters, Transliterators, and Translators

 

bullet

New Mexico. Code of Professional Responsibility New Mexico Court Interpreters

 

bullet

New York.  Court Interpreter Manual.  The manual was adopted December 2005, although the interpreter code was adopted in 2003.  The ethics discussion and code begins on page 13 of the manual.  

 

bullet

New York (Federal Court).  Code of Professional ResponsibilityAdopted by the Southern District of New York, published by the Interpreter's Office.  Their website also publishes a longer version of a similar document on a web page last updated May 12, 2006 called Standards for Performance and Professional Responsibility for Contract Court Interpreters in the Federal Courts.

 

bullet

North Carolina.  Code of Ethical Conduct for Interpreters

 

bulletOregon.  Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Oregon Courts

 

bullet

Sierra Leone.   Code of Ethics for Interpreters and Translators Employed by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, adopted 2004.

 

bullet

South Carolina.  Rules of Professional Conduct for Court Interpreters.  Scroll down to Rule 511 for the interpreter code section (their website doesn't seem to link to the interpreter code as a whole, just by separate sections within that index).  Published by the South Carolina Judicial Department. 

 

bullet

Tennessee.  Code of Ethics for Court Interpreters, adopted 2002.  The Tennessee Courts' website sometimes goes down, so you can also find a copy of the document at this link in Microsoft Word.  

 

bullet

Texas.  Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility of Certified Court InterpretersPublished by the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.  Footnote date shows June 2006.  

 

bullet

UtahCode of Professional Responsibility for Court Interpreters

 

bullet

Virginia.  Virginia's Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters

 

bullet

Wisconsin.  The Court System of the State of Wisconsin adopted an interpreter ethics code in 2002.