Why the translation matters
Courts work from the English text in the paper book. If the translation is wrong, the court reads the wrong thing.
For the Supreme Court, Order VIII of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 says a document in any other language cannot be used unless it comes with a translation. It must be agreed by both parties, or certified as true by a translator the Court has approved. High Courts and lower courts have their own rules.
What a translation must keep
A court translation is a faithful copy of the original in another language. It is not a summary.
- Every word, including the dull parts. Headings, printed form text, endorsements and notes in the margin.
- The layout. Same order, same paragraph numbers, same table columns, so a judge can put the two side by side.
- Names as they are. Names of people and places are transliterated, not translated, and spelt the same way every time. If a name has a known English spelling in other papers, send it to us.
- Numbers exactly. Dates, amounts, survey numbers, case numbers and section numbers, copied as written. A date that could be read two ways is noted.
- Seals, stamps and signatures. These are described in square brackets, such as [Seal of the Sub-Registrar] or [Signature illegible].
- Handwriting and corrections. Handwritten additions, words struck out and overwriting are marked, so the court knows they are in the original.
- What cannot be read. Marked as [illegible], never guessed.
Legal terms with no exact English match are kept in the original language in italics, with a short English meaning in brackets the first time.
Certification
A filed translation usually carries a certificate that it is a true and correct translation of the original. Who signs it depends on the court. It may be the translator, the advocate filing it, or a translator the court has approved.
Every translation we deliver ends with a translator's certificate naming the document and the number of pages. Check your court's rules on any further certificate it needs.
How pages are counted
Pages are counted on the original you send, one side of a sheet as one page. A page with only a seal or a signature still counts, because it is translated and described too.
The page count and the price are in the written quote before any work starts.
What to send
- Clear scans or photos of every page, in order, including the back of a page if it has writing or a seal.
- The court and the case number, so the heading matches your filing.
- The English spelling of party names, if you have it.
- The date you need it by.
Up to 10 pages are usually ready in 2 working days. Longer bundles get a date in the quote.