A court interpreter renders proceedings in real time between English and another language. The interpreter is on the record. Every party in the room depends on the interpreter being accurate, neutral, and discreet. The professional codes that govern court interpreters in the United States are short, specific, and well-established.
The NAJIT Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities
The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators publishes a Code of Ethics binding on all NAJIT members. Its four central canons are:
Canon 1: Accuracy
The source-language message is rendered faithfully into the target language, preserving every element of the original. The interpreter does not summarize, paraphrase, omit, or add. If something cannot be rendered cleanly, the interpreter says so on the record rather than guessing.
Canon 2: Impartiality and conflicts of interest
The interpreter is neutral. They do not advocate for any party. They disclose any conflict of interest (prior relationship with a party, financial interest in the outcome) and recuse if appropriate. They avoid unnecessary contact with the parties and abstain from commenting on the matter.
Canon 3: Confidentiality
Privileged or confidential information learned in the course of interpreting cannot be disclosed without authorization. This applies during the proceeding, in side conversations, and after the matter concludes.
Canon 4: Limitations of practice
The interpreter interprets. They do not give legal advice, explain procedure to a party, or perform any function outside interpretation. A bilingual attorney is not an interpreter, and a court interpreter is not a paralegal.
California state court interpreters
California court interpreters are also bound by the California Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities for Court Interpreters, overseen by the Judicial Council Court Interpreters Program. The California canons closely mirror the NAJIT canons and add specific California obligations around continuing education and reporting unethical practice by other interpreters.
Why this matters in practice
When an interpreter requests a brief pause to look up a term, that is Canon 1 at work. When an interpreter declines to chat with a witness in the hallway, that is Canon 2. When an interpreter refuses to summarize testimony for an attorney off the record, that is Canon 3. When an interpreter declines to explain a legal concept to a witness in plain language, that is Canon 4. None of these are quirks. They are the substance of the profession.
AMS interpreters are vetted for ethics training in addition to language and certification. When booking, you can ask for an interpreter's ethics-related credentials in writing.