This text contains the practical provisions for implementing Articles 8-11, 32 and 33 of the Statutes. I. Committee on Admissions & Language Classification

I. Committee on Admissions & Language Classification

Article 1 - Functions

The Committee on Admissions and Language Classification, a statutory body of the Association, shall exercise the functions and powers granted to it by Article 33 of the Statutes, namely:

In addition, it may, under exceptional circumstances, proceed, of its own initiative, to carry out an enquiry, provided the majority of its members are of the opinion that such an enquiry is desirable.

It may hear submissions from candidates or pre-candidates and sponsors, or presenters. It may also take evidence from any member of the Association who knows the candidate or pre-candidate concerned or who is likely to be able to give an opinion regarding her or him, provided the candidate or pre-candidate is informed thereof. Where a submission is to be obtained from a third party, the candidate or pre-candidate shall give her or his prior consent.

Article 2: Procedure

All official correspondence for the Committee shall be sent to the Secretariat which will forward it.

The Committee shall meet twice yearly and if convened by its Chair, whenever she or he shall deem it necessary.

The Committee shall meet within thirty days of a written request to that effect signed by four of its members and stipulating the agenda.

The Committee shall not take any decision unless the majority of its members are present. It shall take its decisions by a majority of votes cast. In the event of a tie, the Chair shall have a casting vote.

Any member who is absent from two consecutive meetings of the Committee without justification, and any member who is absent from three consecutive meetings of the Committee shall automatically cease to be a member of the Committee.

Article 3: Decisions - Appeals

Any negative decision must be based on factual elements. The person concerned by a decision may submit an appeal against it to the Executive Committee within ninety days following the dispatch of its notification.

The written appeal shall be addressed to the President of the Association and shall list all the factors on which it is intended to base the case. The Executive Committee shall consult the Committee before reaching its decision.

II. Candidatures

Article 4: Pre-Candidates

1. Any interpreter who has worked fewer than one hundred and fifty days and who wishes to be included on the list of pre-candidates with a view to becoming a candidate shall submit a request to the Committee on Admissions and Language Classification. Such request shall be signed by at least three active members, who thereby confirm that the pre-candidate really does work as a conference interpreter but without giving any guarantee as regards professional quality. The request shall be accompanied by remittance of the required administration fee.
2. The pre-candidate's name, address and customary working languages (but not a language classification as defined in this regulation) as well as the names of the active members introducing her or him shall be published on the appropriate list. No pre-candidate shall have the right to remain on this list for a period exceeding five years.
3. At any time during the pre-candidacy period, members of the Association may challenge a precandidate on infringements of its Statutes, its Code of Professional Ethics and all its other rules and regulations.
4. The procedure to challenge a pre-candidate is the same as for candidates. However, language classification is excluded as a ground for challenging since pre-candidates have no language classification but indicate customary working languages.

Article 5: Candidates

1. Any interpreter who for 150 days of work has, without exception, observed the Association's Code of Professional Ethics and all its other rules and regulations may apply to be admitted to the Association as a candidate with a view to becoming an active or associate member. Such request shall be made to the Committee on Admissions and Language Classification. It shall be signed by at least three sponsors at most three years before the date of receipt of the file by the Secretariat. It must be accompanied by remittance of the required administration fee.
2. Once the Committee is sure that the case submitted by the candidate satisfies the provisions laid down heretofore, her or his name and address as well as the requested language classification and the names of her or his sponsors shall be published on the list of candidates. c. Candidates may attend Assemblies and meetings of their region but shall not have the right to vote. They shall receive the necessary documentation.

Article 6: Candidates and Pre-Candidates

Like all members of the Association, candidates shall be bound to observe its Statutes, its Code of Professional Ethics, its Financial Regulations, and all its other rules and regulations. The same shall apply to pre-candidates, so that they will be able to satisfy the requirements of Article 5 (a) when they apply to become candidates. Until such time as they are admitted as active or associate members of the Association, matters concerning candidates and pre-candidates shall fall within the purview of the Committee on Admissions and Language Classification. This Committee shall, in particular, decide on the measures provided for in Article 33 (4) of the Statutes. It being understood that the use of AIIC logos and email addresses is limited to its members only, any use of the AIIC name by its candidates and/or precandidates must specify their respective status vis-àvis the Association.

III. Language Classification

Article 7

The working languages of members of the Association shall be classified in three categories, called 'A', 'B' and 'C', which shall be further defined as follows: Active languages: A: The interpreter's native language (or another language strictly equivalent to a native language), into which the interpreter works from all her or his other languages, and as a general rule, in both modes of interpretation, simultaneous and consecutive. All members must have at least one 'A' language but may have more than one. B: A language other than the interpreter's native language, of which she or he has a perfect command and into which she or he works from one or more of her or his other languages. Some interpreters work into a 'B' language in only one of the two modes of interpretation. Passive languages: C: Languages, of which the interpreter has a complete understanding and from which she or he works.

IV. Sponsors

Article 8

Only active members, who have been members of the Association for at least five years and have had the necessary language classification for at least that same period, may sponsor candidates. All sponsorship withdrawals after receipt of the file by the Secretariat must be duly motivated. Members of the Committee on Admissions and Language Classification may not sponsor candidates nor present pre-candidates.

Article 9

Any sponsors of an interpreter applying to become a candidate shall confirm that they have worked with her or him and have listened to, or observed in the case of Sign Language interpreters, her or his work during the three preceding years. They shall state the languages from which and into which they intend to give their sponsorship. They shall certify, to the best of their knowledge, that the applicant possesses the professional experience required by Articles 7 and 11, that she or he observes the Association's rules and that the quality of her or his work corresponds to the high professional standards expected from the Association's members. The Committee shall be free to judge statements made by sponsors in the way it sees fit.

Article 10

Any interpreter applying for admission shall have at least three sponsors but may find it necessary to have a greater number if her or his language classification is such as to require it. At least two of the sponsors must have their professional address in the same region as the applicant. When a region covers more than one country, at least one sponsor must have their professional address in the same country as the applicant, provided there are at least three members in that country who are eligible sponsors by virtue of their seniority and language combination. The above requirement also applies to applicants from countries which are not part of an AIIC Region. Cases of discrimination of which a potential candidate feels that she or he may have been the victim shall be brought to the attention of the Executive Committee for its attention.

Article 11

Applications to CACL are made in the form of language pairs, each pair representing a discrete unit composed of one source and one target language. In addition, each pair's target language shall be qualified by the applicant as A or B (according to the definitions in Article 7 of this Regulation). Every language that is not a target language shall be referred to as a C. Each sponsor must cover at least one of the applicant's language pairs and all of the sponsors taken together must cover all of her or his language pairs. The same sponsor may vouch for more than one pair. A minimum of three sponsors is required. When the target language is an A, the pair shall be covered by at least:

• two sponsors with an A in that language and an A, B or C in the source language;

When the target language is a B, the pair shall be covered by at least:

• one sponsor with an A in that language and an A, B or C in the source language and

• one sponsor with an A or a B in that language and an A, B or C in the source language. Applicants must be able to document that they have already worked professionally for at least fifty days in each pair. At its discretion, CACL may grant the applicant a waiver for one or more of his or her language pairs if not all requirements can be met. Records of the applicant's admissible language pairs shall be made public in addition to their ABC classification.

V. Challenges

Article 12

Within a maximum of sixty days starting on the date of publication of the name of the candidate on the appropriate list, any member of the Association who gives her or his reasons may challenge a candidate in writing. The author of the challenge must be clearly identifiable irrespective of the medium used (electronic or paper).

Article 13

Once it has received a challenge, the Committee shall rule on its admissibility. If the challenge is admissible, the Committee shall inform the candidate or the member concerned who may withdraw her or his application for admission or for reclassification at any time. If the challenged candidate or member maintains her or his application, the Committee shall launch an enquiry, consulting both those members who have sponsored and those who have challenged the candidate and it shall request the opinion of the Bureau of the region where the challenged candidate or member has her or his professional address. It may request the opinion of any member who knows the candidate and/or who may already have submitted comments about her or him. The Committee shall hear the candidate if she or he so requests.

Article 14

The Committee shall reach its decisions as soon as possible, in any case no later than its second meeting after the challenge was lodged.

Article 15

Any enquiry the Committee carries out of its own initiative pursuant to article 1 is assimilated to a challenge as ruled by this text.

Article 16

No interpreter whose application is turned down by the Committee may submit a similar application within a period of two years. If an appeal is made to the Executive Committee, this period shall begin as from the date of notification of the Executive Committee's decision.

VI. Admission

Article 17

If there is no challenge to a particular candidate within sixty days of the publication of her or his name on the appropriate list, the candidate shall be admitted immediately as an active or associate member and her or his name shall be placed on the list of members of the Association. The same procedure applies if, following an enquiry, the Committee is of the opinion that it is groundless.

VII. Changes in language classification

Article 18

1. Any member who wishes to upgrade her or his language classification shall address a request to that effect to the Committee on Admissions and Language Classification. It shall be signed by at least two sponsors, who need not necessarily belong to the same region as the member making the request. Sponsors must have had the language classification on which their sponsorship is based for a period of at least five years. All the other steps in the reclassification process shall be the same as those laid down for the language classifications of candidates applying for admission.
2. Notwithstanding paragraph a) above, any request to add an A language, or to upgrade a C or a B to an A, shall include a description of the circumstances justifying the request, and be signed by at least five sponsors who have had the language classification on which their sponsorship is based for a period of at least five years. This requirement shall also apply to former members re-applying to join AIIC and requesting a new A language or an upgrade from a C or a B to an A.
3. Any member who wishes to downgrade her or his language classification shall advise the Secretariat, which in turn shall inform the Committee. The new language classification shall take effect immediately.

Article 19

Any request for another member's language classification to be downgraded shall be addressed to the Committee. It shall contain the reasons and shall be signed by at least five members, of whom at least two must have their professional address in the same region as the member for whom a downgrading is being requested. If the Committee finds the request admissible, the following procedure shall be applied:

1. The Committee shall inform the member concerned and offer her or him the choice between: a. being subjected to an enquiry; b. requesting voluntary downgrading of her or his language classification.
2. If no reply is received within a period of sixty days, the Committee shall initiate an enquiry. The first step shall be a written communication to the member concerned informing her or him of the opening of the enquiry and calling for the submission of the signatures of at least three members willing to defend the challenged language classification within sixty days.
3. The Committee shall reach its decision on the case at its subsequent meeting.
4. If, at this stage in the procedure, the member whose language classification has been challenged does not reply or submit the names of members willing to defend that language classification, it shall be downgraded as requested.
5. All correspondence between the member concerned and the Committee shall be by registered mail with confirmation of delivery.

VIII. Change of membership status

Article 20

1. Any active member who wishes to become an associate member shall apply in writing, before 30th November to the Committee, stating their reasons. The Committee shall decide on the request. If approved, the change in membership status shall apply from the beginning of the next financial year.
2. Any associate member who wishes to become an active member shall inform the Secretariat and pay the appropriate membership dues.

IX. Amendment procedure

Article 21

This regulation may be modified by a decision of the Assembly, taken with a two-thirds majority of the votes cast; if appropriate, legal opinion may be sought before the proposals are submitted to the Assembly.