Abstract (eng)
Court interpreting is a domain of interpreting in which ethical aspects are of particular impor-tance and in which interpreters face different ethical challenges. Codes of ethics and text-books for novice interpreters contain several ethical principles, which often do not, however, offer sufficient aid to interpreters in such dilemma situations, due to their prescriptive nature.
This MA thesis examines which kinds of ethical dilemmas arise in court interpreting in Austria, how court interpreters deal with these and which problem-solving strategies they ap-ply in such cases. This study also examines the self-perception of Austrian court interpreters and official interpreters [Amtsdolmetscher], as well as their understanding of their roles and how their professional experience influences ethical decision-making.
In order to answer the research questions, expert interviews with four court interpreters were conducted. The interviewed interpreters all work in Austria and are permanently em-ployed as Amtsdolmetscher. The interviews were analysed through qualitative content analy-sis. The results of the study show that the interviewees do not refer exclusively to ethical principles in their decision-making process, which points to the inadequacy of a deontological approach. Furthermore, this study stresses conflicting role perceptions of court interpreters and their ambivalent relations to judges.