Fathi M. A. Ahmed - Using AI Technology in Translating the Commentary on the Law of the ICC

AI-Driven Solutions and the Landmark Achievement of the Lexsitus Arabic Translation: A Case Study

Cairo, 6 October 2024

By CLICC Arabic Translators

In today’s rapidly evolving world of translation, particularly in the context of international legal projects, advanced technologies play a pivotal role. This was demonstrated in the successful completion of the Arabic translation of the Lexsitus Commentary on the Law of the International Criminal Court (CLICC), a monumental project that spanned approximately 2,300 pages that offers in-depth, provision-by-provision analysis of the Rome Statute and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the International Criminal Court (ICC), making the translation a crucial step toward expanding access to international criminal law for Arabic-speaking professionals and scholars.

The Arabic Translation Team of the Center for International Law Research and Policy (CILRAP), led by Fathi M. A. Ahmed, integrated cutting-edge AI-supported tools and methods to manage the vast intricacies of this legal text. However, while technology facilitated the process, it was human expertise that ultimately ensured the translation’s quality, consistency, and accuracy. This article highlights how a balanced approach—blending AI technology with human post-editing, revision, quality control, proofreading, and layout—contributed to the successful completion of one of the largest legal translation projects in recent years.

The team integrated AI-supported tools to manage this huge legal text

Leveraging Translation Technology for Precision and Consistency

Having tested several tools on the market, one of the core tools employed by the Arabic Lexsitus team was Phrase TMS, a powerful computer-assisted translation (CAT) platform. Phrase TMS enabled the team to handle the legal terminology of the Rome Statute and other ICC texts with efficiency and precision. This platform allowed for real-time collaboration among translators, which ensured consistency in terminology and style across the extensive text

The team leveraged machine learning technology to enhance quality

In addition, the team used previously translated Arabic versions of key ICC texts and UN legal instruments to train the machine translation engine. This process of digitalizing existing translations laid a strong foundation, allowing the engine to better understand and replicate the specific terminologies and stylistic nuances of international criminal law.

Human post-editing was integral in this stage to refine the machine-generated drafts. Post-editing allowed the team to adjust awkward phrasing, resolve any discrepancies, and ensure that the translation adhered to the required legal standards and linguistic accuracy.

Tailored Machine Translation for Legal Accuracy

The team utilized tailored machine translation technology, which was customized to meet the project’s requirements. The machine translation engine was trained on legal texts and the team’s internal terminology database, allowing it to generate drafts that were both accurate and stylistically appropriate for the subject matter. This significantly sped up the initial translation phase without compromising on quality.

However, it was human expertise in post-editing and revision that ensured these machine-generated translations achieved the required level of accuracy. Legal texts require not only linguistic proficiency but also a deep understanding of the law’s context. Thus, human revisers meticulously reviewed each segment, identifying any gaps or ambiguities that machine translation might have missed. This hybrid approach—combining AI-generated drafts with expert human revision—proved essential for managing such a large volume of legal content.

Lexsitus Arabic Translation Team

It ensured that the final output adhered to the highest standards of legal accuracy while benefiting from the speed and efficiency of machine translation.

The team use cutting-edge terminology and fireproofing tools

Advanced Terminology Management and Proofreading Tools

Given the complexity and sensitivity of legal language, terminology management was critical throughout the project. The team relied on and customized advanced terminology management tools to create and maintain a centralized database of legal terms, which could be referenced at every stage of the translation process. This step was especially important for ensuring terminological consistency across the entire project and avoiding misinterpretations.

The team also made extensive use of proofreading tools, which flagged errors, stylistic inconsistencies, and grammatical issues in the drafts. These tools allowed the team to focus on refining the output while preserving the legal precision required for such a complex text. However, while AI-based proofreading tools were effective in identifying mechanical errors, human proofreaders played a critical role in ensuring that legal concepts were communicated clearly and accurately. Human expertise was necessary to confirm that the translation adhered to the legal standards and that all complex ideas were accurately conveyed.

Cloud Storage and Version Management

Managing a project of this scale required efficient tools for document management and version control. The team used an advanced cloud storage tool that allowed for seamless document sharing and version tracking.

With the cloud-based solution, all team members could access the latest document versions and collaborate effectively, whether working on translation, post-editing, or proofreading. The tool also supported real-time commenting, enabling the team to resolve translation challenges collaboratively.

The team used cloud storage to manage source and target texts and reference material

Real-Time Collaboration and Commenting Tools

The Lexsitus team encountered numerous linguistic and terminological issues, as is expected in such a complex legal project. To address these challenges, the team employed real-time collaboration and commenting tools. These tools allowed translators to flag problematic sections of the text and engage directly with subject-matter experts, including legal scholars. This collaborative environment facilitated instant feedback, ensuring that translation decisions were well-informed and accurate, while significantly reducing the time spent on revisions.

The team leveraged the insights of subject-matter experts

Addressing Legal and Terminological Challenges

The translation was further enhanced by a legal review group led by Professor Mohamed S.E.A. Badar, which included a panel of international law experts. These experts reviewed the translation, providing valuable feedback on the legal content to ensure its accuracy. Their involvement added another layer of quality control and ensured that the translation was not only linguistically sound but also legally precise.

In parallel, the translation group produced detailed annotations addressing linguistic and terminological issues. These annotations were shared with the legal review group and helped clarify areas where official translations of the Rome Statute had been lacking. The annotations also offered solutions for improving existing translations, further contributing to the overall quality of the project.

Conclusion: A Human-Centric, Technology-Assisted Approach for Large-Scale Legal Translation

In an official video statement, Karim A. A. Khan KC, the ICC Prosecutor announced the release of Lexsitus 2.0, which now includes the Arabic translation of CLICC. The Prosecutor extended his gratitude to the Lexsitus team including the Arabic linguists.

The successful completion of the Arabic translation of the Lexsitus Commentary on the Law of the International Criminal Court (CLICC) stands as a testament to the power of AI-supported technology in managing large-scale translation projects. By combining advanced CAT tools, machine translation engines, and terminology management platforms with human expertise in post-editing, revision, quality control, proofreading, and layout design, the Lexsitus team set new standards for quality in the field of legal translation.

The human-centric approach ensured that all the complexities of legal terminology were meticulously handled, while AI and machine learning technologies provided the efficiency needed to manage an immense volume of work. This hybrid approach serves as a model for future legal translation projects, particularly those in specialized fields where precision and consistency are non-negotiable.

For more information about the project and the tools involved, visit the Lexsitus platform and explore how translation technologies are transforming the translation industry. You can also read more about the team's work and related initiatives at this story.

Conclusion: A Human-Centric, Technology-Assisted Approach for Large-Scale Legal Translation

The project was a beautiful collaboration between humans and machines

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