Lost in Translation: Navigating Linguistic Challenges in Lesotho  High Court Trials:

Makhetsi  Makha-Ntlaloe; Teboho Reginah Mphi; Mape John  Mohlomi

doi:10.31849/reila.v5i2.14201

Makhetsi Makha-Ntlaloe National University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho
Teboho Reginah Mphi National University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho
Mape John Mohlomi National University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31849/reila.v5i2.14201

Keywords: Translation, Linguistic, Challenges, Court interpreting, Communication

Abstract

Court interpreting services are an essential component of the Lesotho’s legal system to ensure that everyone has access to justice and can present their cases in the language of their choice, more especially at the Lesotho High Court where English is the language of the court. Effective court interpreting requires interpreters with, among other things, high level of linguistic and cultural proficiency in their working languages, strategic competence, and a set of specific skills. However, the lack of formal professional training for court interpreters can have serious consequences on both the communication and the decisions of the court. Following the methodological principles of a qualitative case study explored strategies employed by the Lesotho High Court interpreters in their attempt to address linguistic challenges that they often encounter during their facilitation of communication between judges, lawyers and plaintiff/defendant/witnesses. The study further examined how such strategies may affect communication of the intended message in the interpreter’s renditions. Employing a pragmatic approach guided by Gricean maxims, this paper discussed a purposive sample of 19 excerpts extracted from the transcripts made from ten audio recordings of criminal cases from the Lesotho High Court. The study discovered that such strategies were employing to address linguistic challenges such as terminological challenges, long sentences and incomplete or too brief source language utterances. The study further established that the use of the identified strategies may distort the original speaker’s intended message and hence misinform the witnesses and/or target recipients, which in turn could result in an unfair trial. To enhance the court interpreting process to uphold fairness and clarity in legal proceedings, this paper therefore recommends that the Lesotho High Court should provide formal training to its interpreters to raise their awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies they use.

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Author Biographies

Makhetsi Makha-Ntlaloe, National University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho

Mrs Makhetsi Emily Makha-Ntlaloe is a lecturer in the Department of African
Languages and Literature, under the Faculty of Humanities at the National
University of Lesotho (NUL). She holds Bachelor Degree in African Languages and a Master of Art in African Languages and Linguistics (Interpreting Studies). Currently, she is doing PhD in Languages, Linguistics and Literature at the University of South Africa (UNISA), focusing on Literary Translation. She teaches
Translation and Interpreting courses, such as Lexicography, Translation Practice, and Interpreting Strategies, at undergraduate level. Her research interests include Lexicography, translation, interpreting and sign language
interpreting.

Teboho Reginah Mphi, National University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho

Teboho Reginah Mphi is a lecturer in the Department of African Languages and Literature, under the Faculty of Humanities at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). She holds Bachelor Degree in African Languages and a Master of Art in African Languages and Linguistics (Translation Studies). She teaches Translation courses such as Terminology, Modern Technology in Translation, Lexicography, Translation Theory and Practice at undergraduate level. Her research interests include terminology, modern technology in translation, sign language interpreting and translanguaging.

Mape John Mohlomi, National University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho

Mape John Mohlomi is a Senior lecturer in the Department of African Languages and Literature, housed under the Faculty of Humanities at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). He holds Bachelor Degree in Education
and a Master of Art in African Languages and Linguistics. Currently, he is doing PhD in Language Practice at the Durban University of Technology, focusing on Linguistic Terminology Development in Sesotho. He teaches Language and Linguistics courses, such as Grammar of Sesotho, Syntax, Semantics, and IsiZulu; as well as Terminology, Editing, Lexicography, Translation and Interpreting courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His research interests include onomastics, sociolinguistics, terminology, translation and
interpreting.

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