Decision on appointing a court interpreter

A person must be a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia or any other Member State of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA).

Evidence

The information on the citizenship is acquired by the ministry from the central record of citizenship.

If the applicant is a citizen of a Member State of the EU or EEA and is not a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia, they must submit together with the application evidence that they are citizens of the EU or EEA and a certificate of legal capacity, and at the same time they must state the competent institution where they acquired an active knowledge of the Slovenian language (Level C2 according to the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

The certificate must be certified pursuant to Article 14 of the Act on Verification of Documents in International Traffic (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 9/17). Foreign documents may be used in the Republic of Slovenia if they are certified, after previous certification in the document's country of origin, by the ministry of the Republic of Slovenia responsible for foreign affairs or by a diplomatic mission and consular post of the Republic of Slovenia abroad, if an internationaltreaty or legal act of the EU does not stipulate otherwise.

The full legal competence is acquired by an adult natural person when he or she reaches the age of 18, by marrying prior to coming of age, and, with a court decision, also a minor who becomes a parent.

A person whose work or actions do not demonstrate justified expectations that interpretations will be rendered honestly or conscientiously or do not warrant justified expectations that they will protect the reputation and credibility of court interpretation shall not be fit to provide court interpretation. The condition shall also be deemed not met when five years have not yet passed since a final decision on dismissal.

Legal basis

• Court Experts, Certified Appraisers and Court Interpreters Act (ZSICT)
• Rules on court experts, certified appraisers and court interpreters

A person must not be convicted res judicata of a premeditated criminal offence prosecuted ex officio which would render them morally unfit to provide court interpretation, as it could prevent the impartial or professional performance of their work or harm the reputation of the court.

Evidence

Certificate of no criminal record acquired by the competent authority ex officio.

A person must have pre-Bologna university education or has concluded a Bologna master's study programme.

Exceptionally, the person may be appointed a court interpreter with lower education than stipulated if the required condition of education cannot be met, since a suitable level of the study programme does not exist in the Republic of Slovenia.

Evidence

Evidence of the acquired education is acquired by the ministry from the competent institution.

To establish the condition of expert knowledge and practical skills and experience of the applicant, the Ministry of Justice refers to a candidate to take a special proficiency test which is conducted before a commission. The test includes an examination of knowledge of the appropriate language, and practical skills and experience, including knowledge of regulations, theory and professional practice from a specific language, and examination of legal knowledge.

The test is conducted in written and oral form.
A written part of the test for a court interpreter comprises a translation of legal texts or documents from the Slovenian language into a foreign language for which the candidate wishes to be appointed and a translation of legal texts or documents from this foreign language into the Slovenian language.

The oral part of the test consists of the defence of the written part and an examination of knowledge from the appropriate language, as well as examination of practical skills and experience, knowledge of guidelines on the preparation of interpretations, or provisions on the form and verification of translations, and an examination of legal knowledge covering knowledge of the foundations of the following:

• constitutional arrangement of the Republic of Slovenia;
• organisation and functioning of the judiciary;
• court  proceedings;
• rules of presenting evidence;
• legal provisions on the rights and duties of court interpreters;
• law and institutions of the European Union;

 The examination for court interpreters for Slovenian sign language includes:

• Slovenian sign language: gesticulation, sign speech, finger alphabet and
• examination of legal knowledge.

The price of the special proficiency test for court interpreters is EUR 438,00.

Evidence

The applicant who has passed the test is issued a certificate of successfully completed test. The ministry acquires the certificate of successfully completed special proficiency test from its own records.

A person must be active in Slovenian.

If a person is a citizen of a Member State of the European union or European Economic Area and is not a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia, they must state together with the application where they acquired an active knowledge of the Slovenian language (Level C2 according to the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

A person must have six years' work experience in a particular language for which they wish to be appointed.

A certificate or statement with a precise indication of the field and duration of the professional experience and employment of the candidate is considered proof of work experience

Evidence

A candidate must propose evidence of work experience.

A person may be appointed as a court interpreter if they have not been dismissed as a court interpreter in accordance with the provisions of Court experts, certified appraisers and court interpreters Act on grounds of permanent withdrawal of the right to provide interpretations.