Legal Translation

CHIN 7207
Kelly Fong

Lecture 1
Do you know … ?
Course Outlines
 Course Outlines
1. Overview:
a) the profession of legal translation in Hong Kong
b) sources of law in Hong Kong
c) types of common legal documents
2. Basic legal concepts and terminology
3. Research skills and glossary building
4. Linguistic and stylistic features of legal discourse (E-
C)
 Course Outlines

5. Linguistic and stylistic features of legal discourse (C-

E)
6. Translation of judgments
7. Translation of legislation
8. Translation of contracts
Course Outlines

9. Translation of other legal documents

10. Legal translation in financial documents
11. Decision-making in legal translation
12. Professional ethics and practice for legal translators
Course Assessment
Course Assessment
Weighting
Assessment method Type of assessment
(%)

Individual homework
1. Translation exercise 1 20%
(C-E translation)
Individual homework
2. Translation exercise 2 20%
(E-C translation)
Individual homework
3. Translation commentary 35%
(case study)
4. In-class test Individual classwork
25%
(or online timed test) (E-C/C-E translation)

Total 100%
1

Profession of
Legal Translation in HK
1 Profession of Legal Translation in HK

• 緣起：“法律雙語化 (legal bilingualism)”

 《法定語文條例》 ( 第 5 章 )
 1974 制定，確立中文和英文同樣是法定語文
 1987 修訂
 第4(1)條 新條例以中英文制定和頒布
 第4B 條 為現行法例制定中英文真確本
 第4C條 設立雙語法例諮詢委員會 (BLAC)
1 Profession of Legal Translation in HK

• 緣起：“法律雙語化 (legal bilingualism)”

《釋義及通則條例》 ( 第 1 章 )
 1987/1991 修訂，加入新的第10B條
1 Profession of Legal Translation in HK

• 緣起：“法律雙語化 (legal bilingualism)”

 《基本法》第九條規定： eLink, cLink

• Tong King Lee, “Bilingualism and law in Hong Kong:

Translatophobia and Translatophilia”, link
1 Profession of Legal Translation in HK
• LDD 強調是中文本、英文本，而非翻譯
Eamonn Moran and others, “Legislation about Legislation A general overview
of Hong Kong’s Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1)”, link

“This means that the Chinese text is neither subordinate to, nor
a mere translation of, its English counterpart and,
correspondingly, that the English text is neither subordinate to,
nor a mere translation of, its Chinese counterpart. The two
authentic texts together make up the legislation. Courts and
legal representatives are therefore entitled to refer to and rely
on both texts, whether the trial is conducted in English or in
Chinese or partly in English and partly in Chinese.”
 1 Profession of Legal Translation in HK
• 應運而生

1. Bilingual in legislation  bilingual law drafters, law

translation officers

2. Bilingual courtroom  police translator, court

interpreter
2

Sources of Law in HK
 2 Sources of Law

 Basic Law & several national laws

《基本法》和若干項全國性法律
 Common law & rules of equity 普通法和衡平法
 Statute law enacted in HK 香港制定的成文法
 Chinese customary law 中國習慣法
 International law 國際法
2 Sources of Law
《基本法》
 全國人大常委會根據《中華人民共和國憲法》制定
 猶如香港特區的小憲法 (Mini-constitution)
 最大特色：“一國兩制” 的基本原則
 根據《基本法》，所有香港原有法律如普通法
 所有香港原有法律例如普通法及法例條文等（除同《基
本法》相抵觸或經香港特區的立法機關作出修改者外）
均予以保留
 若干項中華人民共和國全國性法律憑藉《基本法》第十
2 Sources of Law
 普通法
 見於香港和其他普通法適用地區高級法院的判決
 普通法的司法判例制度 (system of case precedent) ，最為
獨特
 案例可引自所有普通法適用地區，不限於某一司法管轄
區 (jurisidication)
 《基本法》第八十四條訂明，香港特區法院可參考其他
普通法適用地區的司法判例
2 Sources of Law

 普通法 VS 衡平法
 普通法提供的補救 / 補償方式 (remedies) 源
自一般人應有的權利
 衡平法提供的 remedies 源自酌情權，如禁
制令
 例如：法庭如認為不應或值取得衡平法的
remedies ，便可酌情不作此裁決
2 Sources of Law
香港制定的成文法

大部分現行成文法載於《香港法例》中

附屬法例：根據獲轉授的權力而訂立的法
例
2 Sources of Law

 中國習慣法

 部分中國習慣法適用於香港
 例如：根據《新界條例》 ( 第 97 章 ) 第 13 條，
法庭可認可並執行與新界土地有關的中國習俗
(Chinese customs) 或傳統權益 (customary rights)
2 Sources of Law

 國際法
 逾 200 項國際條約和協議適用於香港
 條約在立法施行前，不算是香港本地的法律
 但法庭仍可引用某國際條約，以助解釋本地法
例
參考：
律政司網頁 (eLink, cLink) 及社區法網 (eLink,
cLink)
3

Common Legal Documents

 3 Common Legal Documents
非爭訟性文件 (non-contentious documents)
• 如：
• 法例條文規例 (statutes and regulations)
• 一般協議和合約 (general agreements and contracts)
• 業權轉易文件 (conveyancing documents)
• 買賣條款細則 (terms and conditions of transactions)
• 公證書、委託書 (notary certificate, power of attorney)
• 組織章程大綱及細則 (memorandum and articles of association)
• 法律文章 (legal articles)
 3 Common Legal Documents
爭訟性 (contentious documents)
• 如：
• 證人陳述書 (witness statement)
• 醫療報告 (medical report)
• 專家報告 (expert report)
• 聆訊謄本 (hearing transcript)
• 書面陳詞 (written submission)
• 判案書 (judgment)
• 法律彙報 (law report)
Thank You