2. Interpreting at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

Interpreting services constitute an integral part of the day-to-day activities at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. At the opening of this paper, a focus on the differences between Civil and Common Law systems and an overview of court interpreting contribute relevant background information. An historical segment treats the creation of the ICTY and its administrative framework, thus providing the backdrop for a detailed look at the ICTY’s working languages and the use of simultaneous interpreting (SI), relay interpreting (RI) and consecutive interpreting (CI) in the courtrooms, deposition venues and Detention Unit. Inasmuch as the ICTY trials are the result of a vicious, lengthy war and ethnic cleansing activities, interpreter stress plays a significant role, both in the courtrooms and in the field. In order to facilitate the functioning of the ICTY and to orient attorneys to the unique work environment there, several training courses were held in The Hague and Montreal from 2003–2006. The ICTY’s legacy lives on as the International Criminal Court (ICC) conducts investigations in Africa and trials in The Hague.