Professional Translation Services
Timeless precision and accuracy
Certified translation from Arabic and French into English, specialising in legal, financial, academic and personal document translation
Welcome to Astrolabe Translations!
Welcome! My name is Aisha Maniar. I am a qualified and certified translator of Arabic and French to English with over 20 years of experience. I am a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (MCIL) and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (MITI) in the United Kingdom.
I specialise in all types of legal and financial translation. Other areas of translation expertise are international development, education and the arts. I provide certified document translations.
I have worked at the International Criminal Court in The Hague and for various law firms in the City of London. I have translated for numerous international governmental organisations (European, UN) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). I also work for private individuals and small and large companies in the United Kingdom and across the world.
I provide editing and writing services and foreign language tuition from beginner to advanced (postgraduate) level for individuals and groups. I have taught Translation Studies to postgraduate (MA) students in the UK and have spoken at academic translation conferences.
- Qualified - Degrees in in French and Arabic (BA), Translation Studies (MSc) and Law (LLB)
- Certified - MCIL & MITI
- 20+ years’ experience
- Specialist in law, finance, education, international development and the arts
- Work for private individuals, large/small companies, international governmental and non-governmental organisations
Legal
Financial
Certified
Academic
Arts
La traduction certifiée
الترجمة المعتمدة
juridique
Publications
Writings on Translation
I am a passionate advocate of language justice and accessibility for all. I believe that translators build bridges, not barriers. Below are some of the articles I have written (academic and research) on these issues
Filling the gap in language access: Voluntary sector translation of public health guidance in England during the Covid-19 pandemic
Encounters in Translation, 3 / 2025
Communicating with England's Homeless during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown
in "Translating Crises" (edited by Sharon O'Brien and Federico Federici; Bloomsbury: 2022)
Behind a Wall of Silence: Interpreters and Detainee Vulnerability in Britain's Immigration Detention Estate
FITISPos International Journal, 2019
Trump Administration Builds a Language Wall to Further Thwart Migrant Rights
Truthout, August 2019
Language and vulnerability: interpreting in Immigration Removal Centres
IRR, October 2018
Interpreting services within immigration removal centres
IRR, April 2016
Should Britain offer asylum to Afghan interpreters who served its forces?
openDemocracy, November 2013
Shambolic and unworkable: outsourcing of court interpreting services
IRR, February 2013
Justice for sale: chaos in the courts
IRR, April 2012
Blog
Latest Articles
Insights on translation, language justice, and bridging linguistic barriers.
Areas of Expertise
Over 20 years of specialist translation experience across key professional domains.
Law
Legal documents, contracts & court translations
Extensive experience in all areas of the law and all types of legal documents. I have worked as a translator at the International Criminal Court in The Hague and various law firms in the City of London, as well as niche law firms. Work for law firms and legal sector companies also includes multilingual document reviews, legal research and writing summaries of documents.
Certified Translation
Official certified translations for all purposes
Education & Academic
Academic papers, educational documents & research
Arts & Culture
Museum signage, exhibitions & cultural publications
Language Teaching
Arabic tuition for individuals & corporate groups
Areas of Expertise
I have a first class honours degree in French and Arabic (BA) and a master’s degree in Translation Studies (MSc). I also have an undergraduate degree in law (LLB). I have worked as a translator since 2002 and have acquired numerous skills acquired through my professional work and personal interests.
Law
Laws and regulations, court documents, legal correspondence, judgments, claims, etc.
Extensive experience in all areas of the law and all types of legal documents. I have worked as a translator at the International Criminal Court in The Hague and various law firms in the City of London, as well as niche law firms.
Translations of laws and regulations for legal publishers, court documents, legal correspondence, judgments, claims, etc. in all areas of the law.
Work for law firms and legal sector companies also includes multilingual document reviews, legal research and writing summaries of documents.
Certified Translation
Official certified translations for all purposes
I am a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (MCIL) and the Institute of Translation (MITI) in the United Kingdom. I hold ISO 17100:2015 qualified status.
Certified translation for all purposes.
Education & Academic
Academic papers, research, academic transcripts and certificates
Extensive experience in translating educational documents from different countries and education systems into English (usually British English).
As the author of peer-reviewed academic papers, I have also translated many academic articles in various fields, particularly the social sciences, humanities and law.
Arts & Culture
Exhibitions, cultural publications, folk arts, history, culture
Work with artists to translate signage for artworks for exhibitions. Translations of information and signage for museums on historical features about artworks, handicrafts, historic and traditional crafts, such as woodwork, metalwork and leatherwork, and arts, such as dance, theatre and song, as well as legal documents related to international exhibitions and the use and loan of artworks and cultural items.
Translator of the French sections of František Kupka: the road to Amorpha, Helena Musilova (ed.), as part of the 2012-2013 Prague National Gallery exhibition of the artist’s work. English-language editor of the 2014 Arabic-English dual language publication Sand in My Eyes: Sudanese Moments.
Language Teaching
Language tuition for individuals & groups
GCSE and A level Arabic taught at secondary schools in London. Extensive corporate language training (Arabic) for individuals and groups at all levels, from beginners to language graduates hoping to refresh and use their language skills in a corporate environment. Examiner for the oral component of the GCSE Arabic examination at various schools. Private tuition for individuals and groups tailored to their learning needs. I have taught postgraduate Translation Studies to MA students (visiting lecturer at University of Salford, 2006-2009).
International Development
Sub heading
Work for various international (UN, other) governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations on different aspects of international development over many years. Areas include the environment, public health, human rights, women’s rights, labour and economic rights.
Get in Touch
Please complete the form and attach your files to receive a quote. For certified translations, please check the requirements. All personal data and files sent will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
