LL-L "Language policies" 2003.11.11 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 11.NOV.2003 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: Language policies

In our lowland countries and around we generally have some kind of
multi-linguism, at least between the official language and its regional
variant. In quite some cases the regional language can in now way be
classified as a variant of the official language, as e.g. Gaelic v/ English.

My question is: are there cases where the regional people absolutely do not
understand (or did not understand in the past) the official language and
where the government publishes / published a translated version of the
gazetteer of parliamentary enacted laws? (e.g. a Sorbish version of the
DDR-Gesetzblatt;  or a Gaelic version of the Scottish parliamentary acts?).
I guess in Ireland it may be the case: English + Irish (??). I don't know
for local legislation in Wales??

I come to this, while reading a book I bought today at the "Antwerpse
Boekenbeurs":
Jan Clement, Taalvrijheid, bestuurstaal en Minderheidsrechten. Het Belgische
model., 2003, Antwerpen-Groningen-Oxford, Intersentia, ISBN 90-5095-300-X,
xxx + 926 pp., 97 Euro.
There is much published about the subject of Belgian language law, but I
think this book is a good one, and I find back what I am looking for.

It confirms that, during the French occupation, the French law gazetteer was
published in Paris in a bilingual versions in the "départements belgiques".
The curious thing is that the French minister of Justice, who got this
decree enacted (16 Brumaire an VI, Nov 6, 1797), Lambrechts, was a Limburger
from Sint Truiden.
The bilingual gazetteer was published as "Bulletin des lois de la République
Française / Bulletin der wetten van de Fransche Republiek" from 1797  till
1804
and as " Bulletin des lois de l'Empire Français / Bulletin der wetten van
het Fransche Keizerrijk" from 1804 till 1813.

I happened to get two bound volumes, covering a couple of months, of this
Bulletin, when a municipal house was cleaned up, after this municipality was
absorbed in another as a result of a merging operation.
I published a sample text, out of one of the volumes, on the web some time
ago, it is still on URL:
http://home-13.tiscali-business.nl/~tpm09245/dutch/bullois/bullois.htm

So I come back to my question:
In what languages can one get systematically official translations of all
enacted parliamentary law in our lowland countries, other than:
- English in the UK
- English and Irish in Ireland
- German in Germany
- Dutch in the Netherlands
- Dutch, French and German in Belgium?

I must say for Belgium, translations into German of federal enacted law come
with big delay in the Gazetteer (Just amendments to the constitution are
published immediately in the three languages).

Thanks ahead for your coments,
Regards,

Roger

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