In Nuremberg, interpreters did far more than transfer words from one language to another: they helped forge a shared vocabulary of concepts the world had never before been required to name so officially before judges and governments. Terms like crimes against humanity, crime of aggression or command responsibility had to be defined, understood and rendered equivalent across multiple languages—often through handwritten notes, improvised glossaries and whispered translations exchanged between an accusation and an objection.
Without, quite literally, a common language, a common justice would not have been possible.
That turning point marked not only a legal milestone, but also a linguistic one: many legal categories were formalised or consolidated precisely during that period, becoming today the pillars of international, criminal and humanitarian law, as well as of modern supranational tribunals.
Here is a small ITA–EN glossary of terms coined or consolidated during that era for our readers:
| Italiano | English |
|---|---|
| Crimini contro l’umanità | Crimes against Humanity |
| Genocidio | Genocide |
| Crimine di aggressione | Crime of Aggression |
| Responsabilità penale individuale | Individual Criminal Responsibility |
| Responsabilità del superiore / del comandante | Superior / Command Responsibility |
| Crimini di guerra | War Crimes |
| Associazione a delinquere / piano criminale coordinato | Criminal Conspiracy |
| Ordine gerarchico | Chain of Command / Hierarchical Order |
| Immunità non applicabile agli atti criminali | No Immunity for Criminal Acts |
| “Ho solo eseguito gli ordini” (difesa non assolutoria) | “Just Following Orders” (not an exonerating defense) |
| Capo d’accusa | Charge / Count |
| Imputato | Defendant / Accused |
| Processo penale internazionale | International Criminal Trial |
| Tribunale Militare Internazionale | International Military Tribunal (IMT) |
| Violazioni del diritto umanitario | Violations of Humanitarian Law |
| Crimini sistematici | Systematic Crimes |
| Prove documentali | Documentary Evidence |
| Testimonianza | Testimony / Witness Statement |
Today, the challenges have changed: booths are no longer rudimentary, glossaries are no longer pencilled on scraps of paper, and artificial intelligence now supports translation. But the mission of interpreters and translators remains the same:
to ensure that meaning is never lost between words.
Especially in legal language, where a mistranslated term is not a detail—it’s a risk.
Nuremberg taught us an essential lesson: words must be understood before they can be translated. Today, however, linguistic competence must go a step further: it’s not enough to know the terms; you must use them with confidence, precision and context.
And this is where Finking English Academy comes into play, with specialised English courses designed to help you strengthen your language skills in the sector you need.
Finking’s Legal English course doesn’t teach you “just words” — it teaches the language of law as it is truly used: clear, rigorous, international, applicable and professional.
Because words matter.
But knowing how to use them — in the right language, with the right tone, and in the right context — matters even more.
