If you don’t speak the main language used in Australia well and you need to get some documents translated for the federal court you will need to get them translated by a fully qualified translator. The Court provides a full range of translation services and is eager to assist anyone who needs to access these services. If you don’t need to use these services but you need help understanding any of the federal laws in Australia you can ask a National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) translator to help you translate the information you need.

When it comes to the Australian legal system and attendance at the Federal Court parties must provide fully NAATI accredited translations of overseas documents to the Court. In exceptional situations when the Court has decided that it’s in the Court’s interests to get a document translated to help in a defended hearing, a judicial officer must authorise it.  There is no Australian official language as such, as there is nothing written in the country’s constitution declaring any specific official language in Australia, although English has taken on the role generally as the de facto national language. But when it comes to the Federal Court it has been accepted over time that English is the language that should be used.

The Court might be prepared to receive correspondence that’s written in another language if it is related to either a litigant or a potential litigant. In these situations, the registry's is required to pay for the translation. This is to ensure that everyone has equal access to the information required in a language that can be understood by those involved.

Free Translations

The Department of Social Services (DSS) offers a translation service at no cost to those Australian citizens and migrants who are eligible and are settled or settling in Australia on a permanent basis.

This free translating service is aimed at assisting those who settle in Australia so that they can participate more easily in their chosen community. Any personal documents that need translating which could include academic certificates or job references can be translated at no cost for the first 2 years of a migrants stay in Australia.

Complaints and Feedback

If a client has had documents translated or has used the services of an interpreter in the Federal Court and is not happy about the quality of the service provided he or she is encouraged to give feedback to the Federal Court on the standard of translating and interpreting services provided.