Legal Translation: Difference Between Legal Documents and Judicial
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Legal Translation Definition 

There are many kinds of legal document translations that should be handled in a different method. The first type is legal document. The judicial text should also be translated in a special method. And some people also confuse the term with sworn translations. Many people do not know the right description of each and cannot distinguish among the three types of translations. Some people believe all of them are similar. 

Before learning the methods of translation and how to find the best translators of each type, we will need to reveal the definitions beforehand. A deeper comprehension will give us a clear view of the translation and translation agency to look for. 

 

1. Legal Translation

Legal TranslationLegal translation is aimed at providing translation text for legal related field. Law documents will be translated to another language using the right methods and procedures. The examples of legal documents are legislative text, agreement, and manual. Also, scientific articles related with legal themes and topics will also need to be translated with legal translation procedure. It is clear then that a legal translation is not always for legal documents. Some articles or books with legal terms also need to use the special legal translation service. 

 

2. Judicial Translation 

Judicial translation is part of a judicial proceeding. For instance, we might need to translate birth certificate if we want to move abroad. In addition, marriage certificate translation is also part of judicial translation. Documents of identity translation also need to be translated with judicial translation method. 

Meanwhile, documents that come from a legal process or court should also be translated with judicial translation. Therefore, judicial documents include sentences and lawsuits. Besides, property deeds also need to use a judicial translation method. The format and language are settled so the results will be accepted by the authorities in the targeted countries. When translating the judicial documents, people need to make sure that dictions are proper so the documents are legally acceptable. 

 

3. Sworn Translation 

Legal TranslationSworn translation is the last type of document translation that requires a specific method of legal translation. Sworn translation is a translation procedure for official documents that are issued by the authorities in nations for various purposes. The documents require signature, stamp, or seal from the authorized translator. 

In sworn translation, the original document format should be respected. That is for keeping the official document right and valuable content. However, that is a general definition of a sworn translation. There are some countries that set a different rule for this translation. Some countries use different kinds of certifying in order to provide the best sworn translation for various purposes. 

Legal translation services usually include at least one of the aforementioned translation types. However, we need to really know the definition before finding the best agency that will work with our legal documents or source text. Let see the differences between all of the translation types. 

Differences 

When we know the specific definition of the translation, it will be easier for us to get the differences among those translation products. That way, we will be able to get the best agencies based on the types of legal translation

 

The Discipline of Law Content

Legal translation is related closely to the discipline of law. So, it talks about the law itself as a science or topic. Meanwhile, judicial translation focuses more on the text that people use for administration. Thus, it will include some source documents that are aimed for certain real actions. Most of the time, people need to use the translated documents for judicial purposes. So, it will be more to judicial bodies. The latter is considered text for the application in the law field. 

Now, for an easier method, we need to ask ourself whether we need to ask this kind of question “is the text part of the judicial process?” If the answer is positive, then the translation belongs to judicial translation. 

When it comes to the sworn translation, we can say that it is the only type of law translation that is completed by an authorized translator. This is the main difference of this legal translation type compared to other two kinds of legal document translation. 

Therefore, the main purpose of certifying legal translation is to verify facts and get the approval from the targeted country. The law value inside a document will be recognized and applicable for foreign citizens as the legal translation procedures are done accurately. What kinds of documents need to get a certification? 

  • Employment contracts
  • Business contracts
  • Company agreements
  • Birth certificate
  • Death certificate
  • Marriage certificate
  • Adoption record
  • Official documents
  • Notarial papers
  • Diplomas 

Legal translation is needed both for individuals and companies. The accuracy should never be below standard. In addition, it is surely important that clients know the types of legal translation so they can let the professionals handle their jobs to get the best results for any of your legal translation needs.