During their professional practice, interpreters encounter situations where they are privy to information that belongs to the client or others. Many times, this information is confidential, private, delicate, and even classified. As a practicing interpreter I have found hundreds of cases where I must guard and protect facts and data that do not belong to me. This presentation will address the duty of confidentiality in some of the areas where many interpreters work: medical, media, military, diplomatic, conference, and legal. We will explore the different boundaries and limitations that interpreters need to observe, such as canons of ethics, legislation, contractual obligations, and the client-attorney privilege. The presentation will deal with the potential consequences faced by the interpreter in case of a transgression: from professional discipline, to civil liability, to jail. Though some examples that the presenter will share with the audience, those attending will learn how to avoid potential confidentiality violations, and how to minimize the effects when the infringement already happened.
Tony Rosado is a certified court and Department of State conference-level interpreter, a perito traductor, and an attorney from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City. As a high-profile conference interpreter he has worked all over the United States and abroad. He has interpreted for the court system at all levels, international organizations, the Olympic Games, radio and TV broadcasts and countless conferences. He has interpreted for many top level politicians, celebrities, and entrepreneurs, including President Obama, Pope Francis, and Leo Messi among others; and most recently the two political conventions in the United States. He is an interpretation and comparative law visiting professor at various universities in the U.S. and overseas, a well-known conference presenter all over the world, and the author of the popular blog “The Professional Interpreter.”
