I provide accurate, consistent, and easily understandable translations of applications to the ECHR and other documents addressed to the ECHR from Russian, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, and Polish into English.

My translation process involves, first, using DeepL, a translation service based on convolutional neural networks, to get a reasonably readable, albeit only partially accurate, primary machine translation of the original text into English. I then review this translation to identify any specific legal terms and concepts that require a more precise and consistent translation (so that they are translated in the same way each time or synonyms are used, but only where appropriate). Once I have clarified the meaning of a term or concept, I add it to my custom glossary, which DeepL allows me to create for the languages listed above paired with English, along with the translation that I consider to be the most accurate in the legal context created by the Convention and Protocols thereto and the case-law of the ECHR with which I am familiar. Suppose I am not sure which is the most accurate translation. In this case, I use appropriate keywords to search the ECHR’s database of judgments and decisions for the context in which such a term or concept should appear. The case-law of the ECHR cites and analyses national law extensively, so I can also find accurate translations of terms from there. I then make a new translation with DeepL using my custom glossary. Since DeepL cannot always consistently apply translations from an extensive custom glossary to all terms and concepts when there are many of them in the text, I manually check and correct any missed terms and concepts according to my glossary. I also ensure that the structure and logic of the text are correct, that non-legal terms with the same meaning are translated consistently throughout the text, that all names are transliterated and that all addresses are written according to the specific requirements of the ECHR. Finally, I use Grammarly, another AI-based software, to make final spelling, grammar, and style adjustments.

Nowadays, accurate translation of texts for the ECHR requires legal knowledge rather than linguistic expertise, as AI software covers the linguistic part of the work well. Of course, the translator must be more or less fluent in the target language and be able to work carefully and methodically with the texts to correct the inevitable errors of the AI. Nevertheless, good translation of this type of text has always required specific legal knowledge. That is why I have never come across good translations done by translators alone. I had to spend a lot of time correcting and, in some cases, redoing the translations I received. Eventually, I concluded that it was better to do the translations myself from scratch. Although I have met non-legal translators who were able to produce high quality legal translations, they all worked for governments or international organisations. For applicants to the ECHR, their services are almost out of reach.

The cost of my translations in euros is the total number of characters in the translated text divided by 60. For example, translating a text of 6,000 characters would cost €100. 6,000 characters is about three and a half pages of standard text in 12-point font, one and a half spacing and wide margins (texts for the ECHR are usually formatted in this way). An application form can rarely contain more than 30,000 characters, even if all the available space is used for the statement of facts, the substantiation of the alleged violations, and the proof of fulfilment of the admissibility criteria. Accordingly, the cost of translating an application form can rarely exceed €500. If the application form is half empty, which is quite common, the cost of translation would be around €250.

I can usually find time to translate up to 10,000 characters on any given day. The number of days required for the translation is calculated by dividing the total number of characters by 10,000, rounding up, and adding two days for order processing. For example, the translation of a text of 15,000 characters will be completed within four days of receipt of payment. Suppose I need more time in a certain period. In that case, I will always give you a reasonable and specific completion date ahead of time. Please let me know in the field for comments if you need the translation sooner. I will then respond if I can accommodate your request.

You can order a translation by completing and submitting the order form directly from this page. Within 24 hours, I will send you a signed contract in English (sometimes with a translation into the language in which the order was placed, for your convenience). You can pay for my services by transferring funds to my Swiss bank account using the details provided in the contract. Are there other payment options available? On request, you can pay by an internal transfer in Russian roubles, which may be convenient for residents of Russia who cannot pay in euros, as well as by a transfer in various currencies to my accounts in a Kazakh bank, which may be convenient for those living outside Europe and Russia. Please write your wishes about the payment method in the field for comments of the order form on this page. Once you have received the contract, you should sign it online, directly in your browser or mobile device, using Adobe’s Acrobat Sign service, where authentic copies of all signed contracts are stored and always available to the parties (no additional software installation required). Then you make your payment, and I will do the translation and email it to you when it is ready.