About Us

Who We Are
What We Do
- AUSIT Board of Professional Conduct
- The Translation and Interpreting Industry

Who We Are

The Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) is the national association for the translating and interpreting profession. Our members adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and follow continuous professional development. This gives the public the opportunity to choose from a pool of experienced and qualified translators and interpreters.

AUSIT is committed to providing a forum for exchange, fostering the development of professional relationships with fellow translators & interpreters, agencies and language service users, government departments, tertiary institutions and other industry stakeholders, and promoting ethics and quality standards through the industry.

AUSIT holds events and training workshops throughout the year to provide members the best opportunities to grow as translators & interpreters. This includes two signature events – the annual AUSIT National Conference and the AUSIT Excellence Awards.

AUSIT’s objectives are set out in its constitution. They include:

representing the interests of the profession in both Australian and international contexts,
ensuring that interpreters and translators uphold the highest professional and ethical standards,
promoting the translating and interpreting profession to governments and the corporate sector,
promoting and organising professional development activities – including workshops, conferences, courses and seminars,
providing a forum for the study and advancement of translating and interpreting knowledge, practices and procedures,
improving public understanding of the translating and interpreting profession,
working to ensure that non-English speaking persons have access to the services of a properly qualified and credentialed interpreter or translator in their dealings with authorities.

AUSIT’s Constitution sets out the objectives and rules of the association. Changes to the Constitution can only be made through a Special Resolution, voted on either at an Annual General Meeting or by an electronic ballot of members. The current Constitution was adopted at the Annual General Meeting in November 2018. Previous versions of the Constitution are available upon request.

Download AUSIT's Constitution

The following By-Laws are currently in force within AUSIT:

Download AUSIT's By-Laws

Learn more about the important work done by Australian translators and interpreters

What We Do

AUSIT offers a wide range of services to its members, and to government, industry, and the public. These services include:

providing information and advice on translation and interpreting knowledge, practice and procedure, including how to find and work with a reliable professional,
providing continuing professional development (CPD),
establishing and upholding professional and ethical standards,
maintaining an online directory of practising AUSIT members,
giving Australian translators and interpreters an international profile,
advancing the professional interests, standing, rights and recognition of members within and outside Australia,
promoting appropriate working conditions and OHWS,
creating networking opportunities,
facilitating member forums and special interest and language e-groups,
negotiating professional indemnity insurance at reduced rates for members, and
producing a quarterly magazine, In Touch.

AUSIT provides the translation and interpreting community with a professional organisation to promote the profession, improve the profile of translators and interpreters in the community, and raise standards through professional development and the adoption of the AUSIT Code of Ethics.

AUSIT Board of Professional Conduct

The AUSIT Board of Professional Conduct (BPC) is a body convened by the AUSIT Ethics and Professional Practice Committee (EPPC) to investigate complaints made against AUSIT members regarding alleged breaches of the AUSIT Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct. The goal of the BPC is to provide a fair and impartial assessment of all incidents that are reported to it, and its assessment process is primarily designed to handle matters that relate to the behaviour of individual members.

Before submitting a complaint to the BPC please read the points below, so you are aware of what it can and can’t do.

The BPC can:

investigate any complaint that relates to a translator or interpreter who was an AUSIT member when the incident in question occurred,
provide an evidence-based opinion to the member in question on any incident that it does not deem to constitute a breach of the AUSIT Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct,
issue a warning to the member in question when it has verified that a specific incident did constitute a breach of the AUSIT Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct, and
recommend that the National Council of AUSIT takes more serious action, including expulsion of the member in question, if/when the BPC deems that their unethical and/or unprofessional behaviour warrants a permanent ruling.

The BPC is not designed to:

investigate complaints that relate to non‑members (a category which includes individuals who are AUSIT affiliates but not members; and organisations, agencies and language service providers [LSPs] which have formal affiliations with AUSIT),
investigate complaints that relate to employment or industrial matters (which would be better addressed by bodies that have relevant jurisdiction – for example, the union Professionals Australia)
investigate complaints that relate to crimes or malpractice (which would be better addressed by bodies such as courts or tribunals – for example, complaints involving allegations of defamation or disputes of a commercial nature should be resolved directly with the appropriate authority), or
investigate general complaints about ethical standards in the translation and interpreting industry (which may be appropriate for referral to AUSIT’s Ethics and Professional Practice Committee [EPPC], so they can be suitably prioritised in the context of all ethical and professional practice matters under consideration by that committee, and considered holistically).

How does the complaint process work?

The complainant must fill out a BPC Incident Report and state which principle(s) of the AUSIT Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct they believe has/have been breached by an AUSIT member. They should provide as many details as possible about the incident, plus any relevant supporting documents. The complainant should also understand that any member being investigated will be provided with full details of the complaint against them, including the name of the complainant, so they can respond. The complainant must therefore agree to their identity being shared with the member in question.

Once received, the complaint will be assessed by the BPC, and a decision will be made as to whether the incident described is, in fact, a potential breach of the AUSIT Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct.

If the incident does appear to have been a breach, the BPC will contact the member against whom the complaint has been made and provide them with the opportunity to respond. The BPC will always endeavour to consider both sides of an issue before coming to any decision.

If, on the other hand, the BPC decides that the incident as described by the complainant does not in fact breach the AUSIT Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct, then the BPC will respond to the complainant and provide their assessment of the situation. This may include an explanation of the BPC’s reasoning, or further information about the Code itself.

If you would like to submit a complaint to the BPC, please download the BPC Incident Report form from the link below, and send the completed form to AUSIT at: admin@ausit.org.

BPC Incident Report Form

The Translation and Interpreting Industry

Australia continues to be a leader in the provision of language services, particularly in the field of ‘community interpreting’, a term coined here in the early 1970s. It was the first country in the world to have a government-instituted accreditation authority in the field: the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI), established in 1977; and also the first to publish a code of ethics for the profession: the AUSIT Code of Ethics, published in 1996 and since then adopted or adapted by many associations and organisations, both in Australia and internationally.

Our translators and interpreters are held in high regard worldwide, and AUSIT members often travel overseas for important work in all fields of translating and interpreting.

Here below is a non-exhaustive list of current associations and organisations that make up our language services industry, together with some of their international counterparts.

If you would like to see your organisation listed, please contact admin@ausit.org

AALC (the Australasian Association of Language Companies)

Founded in 2013, the Australasian Association of Language Companies is an association of private sector language service providers in Australia and New Zealand. AALC adopted the Revised AUSIT Code of Ethics and issued its own Code of Conduct in 2016.

AALITRA (the Australian Association for Literary Translation)

Formerly known as ALiTra and established in the mid-1990s, the Australian Association for Literary Translation changed name in 2010. It is a national organisation that promotes an interest in all aspects of literary translation, sponsoring public lectures and events, and holding periodic conferences with university bodies interested in the theory and practice of literary translation.

AIIC (the International Association of Conference Interpreters)

Established in 1953, the International Association of Conference Interpreters promotes high standards of quality and ethics in the profession and represents the interests of its practitioners.

ASLITA (the Australian Sign Language Interpreters and Translators Association)

Formerly known as ASLIA, the Australian Sign Language Interpreters and Translators Association – established in 1991 – is the national peak organisation representing Auslan/English interpreters and Deaf Interpreters in Australia. ASLITA unites all the related state associations developed prior to its creation. Sign language interpreters can also hold NAATI credentials. AUSIT works closely with ASLITA.

ATA (the American Translators Association)

American Translators Association. Established in 1959, the ATA seeks to advance the translation and interpreting professions and foster the professional development of individual translators and interpreters.

CITAA (the Chinese Interpreters and Translators Association of Australia)

The Chinese Interpreters and Translators Association of Australia is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers with an executive committee for Chinese students, practitioners and other interested people.

FIT (the Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs / International Federation of Translators)

Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs / International Federation of Translators is an international grouping of associations of translators, interpreters and terminologists. The goal of FIT is to promote professionalism in the disciplines it represents.

IAPTI (the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters)

International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters. Established in September 2009, IAPTI promotes ethical practices in the profession, without censorship and without conflicts of interest. It is open to all professional translators and interpreters who wish to join it worldwide.

NAATI (the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters)

The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters administers credential examinations, endorses interpreting and translation qualifications, and  awards credentials to interpreters and translators working in Australia. Credentials are obtained by passing an examination. NAATI also awards recognition to practitioners with language combinations not covered by the examination system. The credential process integrates the AUSIT Code of Ethics into its examination system. NAATI credentials are a requirement for most public service interpreting and translation assignments in Australia. NAATI is not a professional association.

NZSTI (the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters)

Established in 1985, the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters is a nationally representative body of translators and interpreters in New Zealand. It adopted the AUSIT Code of Ethics in 2012.

Professionals Australia

Professionals Australia (formerly known as APESMA – the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia) is a trade union representing Australian professionals from a wide variety of disciplines. In 2014 it obtained ACCC authorisation to collectively negotiate the terms of engagement for translator and interpreter members who operate as independent contractors, and to advise them on fair rates of pay and other contractual terms. Within Professionals Australia, translator and interpreter members are represented by a group called TIA (Translators and Interpreters Australia).

TIA (Translators and Interpreters Australia)

See ‘Professionals Australia’, above.

WAITI (the Western Australian Institute of Translators and Interpreters)

Founded in 1975, the Western Australian Institute of Translators and Interpreters, Inc. played an active role in establishing AUSIT, and later its Code of Ethics. It is an independent practitioner voice committed to training, qualification and quality language services.

About Us

Who We Are

Learn more about the important work done by Australian translators and interpreters

What We Do

AUSIT Board of Professional Conduct

The Translation and Interpreting Industry

Submission form

Details of interpreter and court interpreting assignment

Details of interpreting assignment

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