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Lost in Translation: Supreme Court Flags Mistranslations, Calls for Fix

The Supreme Court raised concerns on Tuesday after discovering errors in translated documents in a case concerning a teacher’s employment. A key term, “reinstatement,” had been mistakenly translated as “re-establishment,” distorting the meaning of an entire paragraph.

Taking note of the issue, a Bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar ordered that the original document be submitted along with an official transcript to ensure accuracy.

Seeking a broader solution, the Court called upon the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) to examine how such errors could be prevented. SCAORA President Vipin Nair has been tasked with exploring the creation of a dedicated translator pool and implementing institutional changes to ensure all vernacular documents are accurately translated before final hearings take place.

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