IRISH TRANSLATORS' AND INTERPRETERS’ ASSOCIATION

CUMANN AISTRITHEOIRÍ AGUS TEANGAIRÍ NA HÉIREANN

CODE OF PRACTICE

1. The translator should endeavour to the utmost of his/her ability to provide a guaranteed faithful rendering of the original text which must he entirely free of his or her own personal interpretation, opinion or influence. The client's approval must be sought before making any addition or deletion that could seriously alter the original text.

2. The translator must be discreet and confidential in his or her dealings with clients and shall not divulge nor derive gain from confidential information possibly acquired in the course of his or her work.

3. The translator should at all times maintain standards of work at least commensurate with those required for admission to his or her Association, and should in principle translate into his or her mother tongue. Where he or she has sufficient knowledge of some other language, translations may he made into this, subject to notifying the client in writing of possible limitations.

4. The translator should recognise the extent of his or her own competence in terms both of language and subject matter and refuse to accept, unless with the prior knowledge of his or her client, any work coming outside this competence or which he or she feels cannot properly be completed within an allowed period of time.

5. The translator should assist and be assisted by his or her colleagues where practicable and should behave loyally towards them and towards his or her Association. He or she should endeavour to recommend suitable colleagues where work offered is not in his or her field or cannot be completed in the time allowed.

6. The translator should in all cases behave in accordance with the high standards appropriate to a professional body and should refrain from any action likely to discredit his or her profession or disadvantage his or her colleagues, in particular plagiarism, surreptitious subcontracting and

acceptance of work at rates of pay unreasonably below those prevailing within the profession.

7. It should be agreed that any disputes or professional differences which may arise between the translator and his or her colleagues or clients are to be settled in so far as possible by arbitration which shall be guaranteed impartial, easily accessible, and inexpensive.

8. Use of another's draft translation as basis for a final work and with their prior permission, or use of an intermediary translation in some other language, must be brought to the knowledge of the client for his prior approval and must subsequently be duly accredited.

9. The translator is entitled to advertise and otherwise make known his or her services, provided this is done in factual, relevant and credit-worthy fashion.

10. The translator should endeavour to seek, for his profession, the status generally accorded to others, particularly in respect of copyright protection, proper share in the reward due to any published work in which he or she has participated, and appropriate recognition by the revenue authorities.

11. The translator should refuse to accept work that he/she believes to be intended for illegal or dishonest purposes, or to be against the public interest.