Dr Noelle Higgins recently co-authored a chapter on the right to an interpreter for Irish speakers in Irish courts, with Dr Dorothy Ní Uigín of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta, OÉ Gaillimh. The chapter, entitled ‘Irish speakers in Irish Courts: Is there a need for, and right to, an interpreter?’, was published in Legal Translation and Court Interpreting: Ethical Values, Quality, Competence Training, edited by Annikki Liimatainen, Arja Nurmi, Marja Kivilehto, Leena Salmi, Anu Viljanmaa and Melissa Wallace. The chapter analyses the constitutional and legislative protection of the Irish language and how the right to an interpreter is protected in the context of the Irish language. It discusses the case of Ó Maicín v Ireland and ors with regard to the right not to have an interpreter. It also examines the educational context of the Irish language and suggests some measures to improve legal and interpreter training in the language.
Dr Higgins teaches a module on the Rights of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples on the LLM in International Justice programme offered by Maynooth University Department of Law.