Book

Irish speakers, interpreters, and the courts, 1754 -1921

Phelan, Mary, author, Irish Legal History Society, sponsoring body

Overview

The extent and duration of interpreter provision for Irish speakers appearing in court in the long nineteenth century have long been a conundrum. In 1737 the Administration of Justice (Language) Act stipulated that all legal proceedings in Ireland should take place in English, thus placing Irish speakers at a huge disadvantage, obliging them to communicate through others, and treating them as foreigners in their own country. Gradually, over time, legislation was passed to allow the grand juries, forerunners of county councils, to employ salaried interpreters. Drawing on extensive research on grand jury records held at national and local level, supplemented by records of correspondence with the Chief Secretary's Office in Dublin Castle, this book provides definitive answers on where, when, and until when, Irish language court interpreters were employed. Contemporaneous newspaper court reports are used to illustrate how exactly the system worked in practice and to explore official, primarily negative, attitudes towards Irish speakers. The famous Maamtrasna murders trials, where, most unusually for such a serious case, a police constable acted as court interpreter, are discussed. The book explains the appointment process for interpreters, discusses ethical issues that arose in court, and includes microhistories of some 90 interpreters.

• Publisher: Four Courts Press, in association with the Irish Legal History Society
• Subject: Court interpreting and translating Ireland History. / Fair trial Ireland History.
• ISBN: 9781846828119, 1846828112

Item info:

1 item available

1 item total in all locations

Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
KDK1656.T73 P54 2019	1	BOOK	AUTOSTORE