Professional Ethics
What the domain tests
Professional Ethics tests judgment under competing pressures. ICLTE expects you to know the difference between translating and advising, to accept only work you can do competently, and to protect accuracy and impartiality. Ethics questions often turn on a request that is not obviously dishonest but would compromise the record.
Core rules
- Competence: accept an assignment only if you have the language, subject knowledge and resources to complete it accurately. If not, decline or arrange a qualified reviewer with the client's consent.
- Role boundaries: explain that you translate; you do not give legal advice, choose strategy or decide what should be disclosed.
- Accuracy: do not omit, soften or improve damaging content. If the source is ambiguous, translate the ambiguity and flag it in a note if the brief allows.
- Impartiality: do not advocate for either side. Avoid gifts or instructions that create a stake in the outcome.
- Correct errors promptly and transparently; keep a record of decisions.
Worked example
A client asks you to translate a witness statement and to make the answer less damaging. Reasoning: the request asks you to alter evidence, not translate it. You should decline the alteration, explain that the target must reflect the source, and offer a legitimate alternative: translate accurately and, if instructed, provide a separate translator's note identifying ambiguity or untranslatable terms. You should not advise the witness what to say.
Traps
Treating a request to clarify as permission to change meaning. Accepting a subject outside your expertise because the deadline is long. Giving an opinion on the merits. Failing to disclose a prior relationship with a party. Silent correction of a source error without a note.