Maleeha Aslam
DARE Project: Judicial Training in Language/Translation/Interpretation Awareness
Program(s) of Study: Law and Society
Project Supervisor: Agnes Whitfield
What I enjoyed most was reading research from a variety of disciplines and seeing how they all connected to the same topic. Exploring legal scholarship alongside perspectives from sociology, linguistics, migration studies, and public policy broadened my understanding of language rights and access to justice. I found it rewarding to see how different fields approached similar issues, which gave me a more well-rounded perspective on the challenges and potential solutions surrounding language barriers in the legal system.
Project Description:
My DARE research project examined how language, translation, and interpretation affect access to justice within the Canadian legal system. Working under the broader theme of judicial training in language awareness, I conducted literature reviews on language rights, linguistic justice, forensic linguistics, migration, and access to justice. I also completed a comparative review of every Canadian law school's JD and graduate law programs to identify courses, certificates, and faculty research related to language rights, bilingual legal education, interpretation, Indigenous law, immigration and refugee law, and access to justice. In addition, I analyzed the Canadian Bar Association and provincial law societies to identify professional development opportunities, committees, policies, and resources related to language competency, diversity, inclusion, and language rights. Throughout the project, I compiled annotated bibliographies, tracked search strategies, synthesized findings from academic and institutional sources, and produced research reports to support the development of recommendations for judicial education on language and interpretation awareness.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) - Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.