View Video | Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal

Erik Møse
speaks on ...

the need for clarity in the courtroom

Transcript0:00
Yes. And that’s coming back to how to conduct trials.
0:03
Robert Utter: Yes, yes.
0:04
Speed, clarity, brevity. We all want clarity, brevity, simplicity in life but in the international context it’s vital. And if people don’t observe the rules for good courtroom behavior at the international level there will easily be confusion and the transcripts will be unclear, the interpretations will not be correct, et cetera.
0:31
Let me share with you, let me simply say that I totally share your, your praise of interpreters. Our interpreters here are, are just extraordinary. You know, they don’t only interpret. They also listen . . .
0:45
RU: Exactly.
0:46
. . . and if they realize that the witness is in the process of revealing his identity, the interpreter will say, “And the witness is about to tell his location," or "the witness is just about to tell his profession. I don’t know whether I shall interpret that.”
1:03
Of course he shall not, so they take responsibility because they’ve been here so, for so long. And another example, if, if someone makes a mistake in the courtroom, our best interpreters will then in a very gentle diplomatic way add, “Says the witness.”
1:22
RU: Ah.
1:22
It being understood that this is what he says but it’s not correct what he’s saying. And that is also some kind of a contribution to the process and it, it will be reflected in the transcripts as a new paragraph, “The English interpreter, colon, ‘Says the witness,’” and for posterity, it will be very easy to see that a mistake was made.
1:48
And as a presiding judge, I’ve been presiding judge in very, very many cases, the cooperation between the bench and the interpreters and also with the court reporters by the way is extraordinary, inspiring.