Stakeholders’ concerns regarding the standard of Sign Language interpretation in Zimbabwe’s Justice System: Implications for access to justice

Implications for access to justice

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates three issues related to court interpreting in Zimbabwe's justice system. It examines stakeholders' concerns about the quality of interpreting and its impact on deaf parties' rights in legal disputes. It also assesses the application of the 2013 Constitution and other laws in courtrooms, the relationship between language and the legal system in Deaf communities, and the linguistic techniques used in deaf communication. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observation of open court sessions. The study revealed a shortage of proficient Zimbabwean Sign language interpreters in Zimbabwean courts, leading to communication challenges during trials and misconceptions about the government's commitment to protecting deaf people's language rights. The researchers suggest that the Zimbabwean government and other stakeholders should establish a pool of interpreters and allocate funds for training for proficient Zimbabwean Sign language court interpreters.