Legal transcription and the importance of uncompromised confidentiality

What do we mean with legal transcription and uncompromised confidentiality? In practical terms, we are talking about the conversion of legal speech and audio or audiovisual content into a written document, ensuring professional secrecy.

This process is conducted by qualified transcribers who are constantly aware of the specificity of their work, where a simple word may be enough to change the whole meaning of a communication.

The previous sentence is all more important when we talk about legal transcription, a service so often requested by law firms to translation companies. It holds specific characteristics that we believe are worth highlighting.

Transcription and legal terminology experts

The transcription of testimonies, court cases, trial hearings, interrogations, as well as minutes, contracts, wills and medico-legal reports are part of a specialized area within the transcription services, and this service, often requested by lawyers, must be conducted by legal terminology experts.

We agree, not least because. like any language service - legal transcription is subject to a code of ethics, thus to professional secrecy.

So, if it is converting speech and audio or audiovisual content into a written document, how does transcription work? Audio transcription is the most requested and it can be done from any type of audio file - MP3, tape, mini DV, Mini Disc, CD-ROM, DVD, VHS... - This means that the job can be conducted far from where the location where the recording took place.

Suppose the hearing was recorded in Luanda or Maputo, what may be apparently difficult is easily solved. Sending the audio file through one of the numerous file transfer services (FTP, WeTransfer, MyAirBridge) from your law firm to the translation company, that can be in Porto or in Lisbon is all that it takes.

Legal transcription, a confidential service

Confidentiality cannot be dissociated from legal transcription. It is crucial, indeed, and translation companies have immediately tackled the matter, reassuring their customers - especially the law firms - converting audio and/or audiovisual material content into witting is so often subject to the rules of legal secrecy, supported by Non-disclosure Agreements.

First of all, we must underline that language services providers certified by the 17100 ISO Quality Standard have long complied with the legal obligations with regard to sensitive, personal and business data they handle on a daily basis.

Besides the RGPD and the DPO, there is another guarantee - NDA (Non-Disclosure-Agreements - which is a confidentiality agreement on information and assures that confidentiality in the legal transcription is kept throughout the whole process

It is a fact that scrupulous compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation is, in itself, a guarantee that confidentiality is not breached; but does not mean that having a data protection officer (DPO) in the translation company is equally important, which is the case with AP Portugal Tech Language Solutions. We must point out that it is not mandatory to have a DPO but it is recommended to all organisations that process personal or sensitive data.

Besides the RGPD and the DPO, there is another guarantee: NDA (Non-Disclosure-Agreements) which is a confidentiality agreement on information and assures that confidentiality in the legal transcription is kept throughout the whole process, and should therefore be taken into account.

How do lawyers benefit from transcription?

It is the duty of lawyers to build a strong enough argument to obtain the best result in and meet their clients expectations. In other words, they need to be constantly aware so they can find the stronger evidence possible to take to court. To do so they must have a full knowledge, almost word per word, of their case. How can this be achievable? The answer lies in these three legal transcription benefits:

• The legal transcription provides lawyers with accurate information about court hearings and other important procedures related to their cases. Resorting to legal transcription experts, ensures the access to court proceedings, sessions and testimonies in text format for future reference.
• Legal transcription experts are able to transcribe a full range of content - without delay - using their knowledge of legal terminology. 
• Transcribed documentation of court proceedings is an asset at the disposal of a lawyer in the courtroom, a document that you can trust, that includes all the information.

Transcription with translation

There are situations, even within legal transcription, that need something more than the conversion of audio content into writing. Transcription followed by translation is a service often requested to translation companies. It means that after the transcription has been completed, the content is translated into the requested language. Two jobs that must be carried out with the same level of accuracy and confidentiality, of course.

ABOUT US

AP | PORTUGAL Tech Language Solutions is a Portuguese translation company certified by the ISO 17100 International Quality Standard. The company offers a wide range of language services, which include translation (TEP), post-editing machine translation (PEMT), transcription, desktop publishing and subtitling, voice talent, software and website localisation technology, SEO and consulting. It invests enthusiastically in the development of partnerships and cooperation anywhere in the world where your organisation may need a partner for the African, Brazilian and European Portuguese language.