Supreme Court Rules 1987

(1) An interpreter owes paramount duties of accuracy, impartiality and candour to the Court when acting as an interpreter, which override any other duty the person may have to any party to the proceeding, even if the interpreter is engaged directly by that party.

(2) To carry out the duty of accuracy, an interpreter must interpret in a manner that results in the optimal and complete transfer of the meaning of the other language into English and of English into the other language, preserving the content and intent of the other language or English (as the case may be) without omission or distortion and including matters which the interpreter may consider inappropriate or offensive.

(3) Unless the Court otherwise orders, an interpreter must:

(a) interpret questions and all other spoken or signed communications in the hearing of the proceeding for the party or witness from English into the other language and from the other language into English; and

(b) subject to subrule (4), before or during the course of a witness's evidence translate at sight written words shown to the witness.

(4) An interpreter may decline to sight translate if:

(a) the interpreter considers that the interpreter is not competent to do so; or

(b) the task is too onerous or difficult by reason of the length or complexity of the text.

(5) Unless the Court otherwise orders, an interpreter must not assist a party or that party's legal representatives in the conduct of a proceeding or proposed proceeding other than by interpreting questions and all other spoken or signed communications or sight translating documents in connection with the proceeding or proposed proceeding (including the hearing) for the party from English into the other language and from the other language into English.