PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Yousef Abdulrahim Abdulmumin Shamsan in Translation
Mr. Yousef Abdulrahim Abdulmumin Shamsan was awarded a PhD degree in Translation for his dissertation titled: Translation Quality Assessment of Legal Discourses: A Case Study of Hatim et al’s Book Legal Translator at Work, which was submitted to the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
# |
Committee Members |
Designation |
Position |
1 |
Prof. Abdelrahman Abdrabou Al-Dirbji |
Internal Examiner |
Chair |
2 |
Assoc. Prof. Hamed Shoay Al-Mogarry |
Main Supervisor |
Member |
3 |
Assoc. Prof. Mohammed Shoay Damoom |
External Examiner |
Member |
The study aimed to:
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Evaluate the quality of Arabic–English legal translation as presented in The Legal Translator in the Field by Hatim et al.
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Propose effective solutions and strategies to address challenges arising in the translation of legal texts.
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Contribute to improving the quality of Arabic–English legal translation while ensuring the preservation of legal force and compliance with the cultural norms of the target legal system.
The study yielded a number of key findings summarized as follows:
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Translators were partially successful in achieving translation objectives and conveying the intended meanings of the source texts. In some cases, translators compromised accuracy in order to adapt the text to the legal-cultural values of the target readership.
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Translators employed deletion, explicitation, and literal translation strategies, which led in certain instances to reduced accuracy and a loss of textual elegance and pragmatic effect.
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The study proposed alternative translations supported by reasoned argumentation and evidence.
In light of these findings, the researcher recommended:
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Establishing clear evaluation criteria, including:
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Accuracy: assessing the degree to which translations faithfully convey original
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Harmony: evaluating the coherence of the translated text with the linguistic and cultural norms of the target language.
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Rhetorical Strength (Eloquence): assessing the expressive power of the translated
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Legal Effect: evaluating the ability of the translation to convey the legal impact of culturally embedded legal meanings.
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Reassessing and revising translations to enhance accuracy and acceptability, and emphasizing the use of localization strategies and functional translation approaches during revision and editing processes.
The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and specialists, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.
A video from the Viva-Voce
