Today, the history of judicial institutions is particularly popular. However, there are not many studies devoted to “subordinates”. Interpreters are omnipresent in legal proceedings; they are also an integral part of historical research. The aim of this project is to initiate a reflection on the history of the judicial institution from the bottom up, i.e. by focusing on secondary actors.

We will first try to show how French colonization transformed (and even created) the figure of the translator: from a handyman, the court interpreter becomes an official (Axis 1). They were supposed to “facilitate” the meeting between a local administration and the colonial power, translators who have worked for the various Tunisian judicial authorities will be of particular interest to us (Axis 2). Finally, we’ll examine the fate of these employees after the signing of the judicial agreements (1955-1957), and the cessation of French courts, to show how the gradual “tunisification” (or arabization) of justice after independence meant that court interpreters were reduced to mere officials of circumstance (Axis 3).