초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Under international law, criminal suspects and defendants who do not understand or speak the language used in the legal procedure are entitled to free assistance by interpreters (e.g., Article 14(3)(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Articles 5 and 6 of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights). They should be informed about their right to remain silent and right to counsel through the interpreter before the investigative interview starts. Providing them with adequate interpretation by competent interpreters is critical. If an incompetent interpreter is engaged in the legal process, the rights of criminal suspects and defendants may be undermined as a result of inaccurate interpretation. Drawing on a case study of an interpreter-mediated prosecutor’s interview of suspects, this paper demonstrates that engaging competent interpreters is pivotal to due process of law, and the findings also indicate both the complexity of communicating a suspect’s rights through interpreters and the opportunity for improvement in the administration of Miranda rights. The results suggest that both interpreters and criminal investigators need to employ extra caution and receive training on effectively administering Miranda warnings to suspects from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
