TRANSLATION ORGANISATIONS COME TOGETHER

THOSE WHO TRANSLATE official documents for use by the UK’s public sector, government agencies or for businesses in the UK know that there are differences in the expectations and requirements for certified translations. There are also differences in how certified translations are produced, laid out and certified by translators and translation companies in the UK.

In Europe and around the world practice varies greatly, with most countries having clearer standards and more requirements than in the UK. The UK is unusually deregulated by international standards.

Those variations can cause confusion and delays in translation and certification processes and can make it challenging for translators and translation companies to confidently provide a service that they know will be accepted by the receiving organisation.

Now, the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) is working with the Institute for Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) to harmonise best practices around the certification of translations in the UK. All three leading associations now recognise and endorse each other’s certification guidelines and practices.

CIOL chief executive John Worne explained: “The diverging practices stem from the fact that, unlike in many other countries, no sworn or state-authorised system for certifying translations exists in the UK – and this landscape is unlikely to change. Working together with the ITI and the ATC, we will promote the use of properly qualified and accredited professional translators and quality assured translation companies, for the benefit of both the users