The Florida Supreme Court in In re: Petition To Adopt Florida Rules For Certification And Regulation Of Court Interpreters and Florida Rule Of Judicial Administration 2.073, 2006 Fla. LEXIS 1394 [Fla. 2006] adopted Florida Rules for Certification and Regulation of Court Interpreters and a new Florida Rule of Judicial Administration, Rule 2.073, Appointment of Interpreters for Non-English-Speaking Persons, in response to the recent enactment of chapter 2006-253, Laws of Florida.
So, what does this have to do with mediation? Nothing, exactly and yet . . . .
One of the fundamental learning objectives in mediation training programs is to “[i]dentify techniques for mediating cases where there is a language barrier or when a translator participates in the mediation session.” I interpret [pun intended – sorry!] the word “translator” here to mean interpreter. These new rules give mediators valuable insight into what professional conduct is expected of a certified court interpreter and, hence, what we can expect of them if they participate in mediation.
Additionally, Part IV, Discipline, in these new rules delineates the conditions under which disciplinary action may be taken against a certified court interpreter. The discipline may take the form of suspension or revocation of certification. Rules 14.410-14.460 set forth a detailed disciplinary process based loosely on those applicable to mediators. See Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators 10.810-10.880. Hmmm, how about that?!?
Since we have the benefit of such a wonderfully diverse cultural population here, I thought this would be an appropriate post for the 4th of July! Enjoy the holiday and stay safe!
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