A witness taking part in a housing hearing in Montréal needed to understand questions asked in French and give her answers in Spanish. To support this exchange, Cultures Connection arranged Spanish–French interpreting for Delegatus Services Juridiques Inc.. The assignment focused on a practical requirement: helping a Spanish-speaking participant follow and contribute to an oral hearing.
The language requirement behind the housing dispute
Delegatus was representing a landlord seeking to repossess a dwelling so that his mother could live there. The tenant had contested the request. As the landlord’s mother spoke Spanish, she needed an interpreter when giving evidence at the Tribunal administratif du logement in Montréal, including during examination and cross-examination.
Cultures Connection supplied an interpreter working between Spanish and French. The service concerned spoken exchanges during the hearing, rather than the written translation of legal documents.
Following questions and answers through consecutive interpreting
A hearing develops through individual contributions: a question, an answer, and sometimes a request for clarification. With consecutive interpreting, each contribution is delivered in the other language before the exchange moves on. This makes the format suitable for a witness answering questions.
Accuracy involves more than legal vocabulary. Dates, qualifications and the way a person describes an event are also part of the message. The interpreter’s task is to convey the speaker’s words without introducing personal explanations or answering on the witness’s behalf.
Information to share when arranging legal interpreting
For a similar assignment in Montréal, start with the hearing date, location, expected duration and required languages. A brief description of the matter and relevant reference documents can help define the service and support terminology preparation.
The arrangements will also depend on whether participants meet in person or remotely. An interview with counsel and a formal hearing may require different scheduling and speaking arrangements. Discussing these points early helps everyone understand how the interpreting will fit into the meeting.
Planning an interpreting assignment in Canada
The Delegatus assignment is an example of interpreting tailored to a specific local need. Cultures Connection helps law firms and organizations arrange interpreting services in Canada for hearings, professional interviews and multilingual meetings.
Share your dates, languages, location and meeting format so we can assess the requirements. Request a quote for your interpreting assignment.
