Can interpretation in public services do without theory?

The use of interpreters in public services in France has grown steadily in recent years, both in the context of asylum applications and in medical and social settings. The enormous needs, especially in certain language combinations, require the use of ad hoc interpreters. The occupation needs to be structured and become more professional, and several efforts have emerged in recent years in this direction. However, it has emerged from our observations that the definition of the profession is more structured around the requirements of interpreter-employing institutions than on the thoughts of interpretation theorists. Thus, after exploring core theoretical contributions, we propose to analyse the normative documents instituted by various stakeholders in public service interpretation in France, to highlight gaps in the consideration of theory. Indeed, it seems that ethical considerations strongly take precedence over technical considerations, thus corroborating the thesis according to which the stakes of power influence the definition of the profession of interpreter in medical settings in different countries, and thus, in all public services in France.