Legal Interpreters’ Performance From Users’ View: A Case Study in Bali

Based on the analysis, it is found that employment of interpreters is compulsory in legal cases involving foreigners under the law applicable in Indonesia, from police level, prosecutor until the court process. But, in the police level, the interpreters were offered based on the circumstances, such as, time, nature of cases and availability of the interpreters. The use of interpreters focused more on the purpose of process of cases and less attention were given to the legality matters. Police officers employed more non-professional interpreters, though some professional ones were used. Those who were employed as interpreters at the police level: police officer, friends of foreigners, hotel staff, owner of the house or hostel, villa managers, drivers, motorcyclists, house staff or servants, family of the foreigners. In the prosecutor and court level, more qualified and professional interpreters were employed although in some cases fewer professional interpreters were used if upon serious effort the professional one could be found. Concerning the payment, police have to strive the payment first, but there were budgets for interpreters in prosecutor level, although it was not worth with the professionality of the interpreters therefore prosecutors sometimes have to take out their pocket money to add the fees of the interpreters.