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Language Just. Journal of Language Rights & Minorities, Revista de Drets Lingüístics i Minories. 2023. Vol. 2, no. 2
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- What was the language of the judgment again?: Traces of bilingualism in monolingual judgments(2023) Teutsch, AlexanderMultilingualism is often perceived as a burden for judicial institutions that are used to holding proceedings in a specific language. However, by translating resources and evidence from a different language into the language of a proceeding, courts are enabled to write judgments based on a monolingual set of resources potentially with minimal or no reference to their source language. This article aims at uncovering this myth of judicial monolingualism, showing how multilingual courts act when indispensable resources are only available in a language different from that of the proceedings. By analysing monolingual criminal judgments delivered by Justices of the Peace in the bilingual (German/Italian) Province of South Tyrol, Italy, this article shows how, in citing case-law available only in Italian, traces of Italian are introduced in judgments written in German. Through a quantitative study, three approaches to deal with this issue have been analysed (i) collages between the two languages; (ii) direct quotation from Italian; and (iii) translation. The article critically analyses these three approaches and highlights an alternative approach, consisting in a combination between direct quotation from Italian and a translation into German, in order to guarantee both legal certainty and adequate understanding for all concerned parties.
- Paratexts as gatekeepers in online global jihadist translation – The narrative of a blog-based Arabic translation of Dabiq(2023) Mansi, MennatallahTranslation has played a pivotal role in disseminating global jihadist propaganda online from the declaration of global jihad in the late 1990s to its recent manifestation in 2014 with the emergence of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This paper contends that paratextual frames have a significant role in mediating the ideologically charged messages of global jihadist to diverse communities and when contexts change. The article investigates the gatekeeping function of paratexts within a blog-based Arabic translation of ISIS’s English magazine Dabiq (AZIZ8178 2016a). Drawing upon narrativity (Somers & Gibson 1993; Bruner 1991; Baker 2006a), the translations published in a blog, AZIZ8178, are scrutinized to explore the paratextual interventions that frame translated narratives. The results pinpoint a deliberate selection of articles for translation that aligns with the shifting circumstances faced by ISIS on the ground. Moreover, AZIZ8178’s Arabic version of Dabiq is shown to construct a narrative centered on identity, emphasizing internal conflicts and divisions within contemporary Arab communities. It is posited that AZIZ8178’s paratexts familiarize ISIS radical doctrines within the socio-political fabric, potentially inciting fanaticism among the targeted Arabic-speaking audience. The visibility and autonomy of the translator become evident in the paratextual elements of signatures and footnotes, eliciting his jihadist stance.
- Is ambiguity a source of inequity? Nominalization in sustaining and effacing power asymmetries(2023) Adams, Heather; González-Ruiz, VíctorThis article explores the tendency to nominalization in legal discourse from different perspectives, underscoring arguments from the field of critical discourse analysis (in particular, those related to the detrimental consequences that omitting the agent may entail), and offers a qualitative case study regarding the use of nouns in the informative texts given by the Spanish Social Security department on its web about a minimum wage benefit scheme. For this case study, we have used the framework proposed by Willerton (2015) involving his BUROC model, aimed at identifying the circumstances in which plain language should be a priority. As an answer to the question posed in the title of this article, the findings suggest that excessive nominalization harms the lay reader’s ability to comprehend and, as a result, places him or her in a disadvantageous position in legal settings; however, the results also indicate that it is the writer’s overall lack of empathy towards the reader which ultimately has the most negative impact on legal communication.
- El derecho a recibir información y el derecho a comunicar: claves de la política de traducción e interpretación en los centros penitenciarios de Rumanía(2023) Vitalaru, BiancaEste artículo analiza la legislación penitenciaria de Rumanía para describir el elemento normativo de su política de traducción e interpretación (T&I) en lo referente a las personas alóglotas. Para ello, se aplica una versión modificada del modelo de Martínez-Gómez (2018) para la clasificación de sistemas penitenciarios en función de la madurez de sus políticas lingüísticas. Este modelo destaca las disposiciones relativas a la T&I para hacer efectivos los derechos de base lingüística. Nuestro artículo añade una distinción para determinar si la legislación prevé los mismos derechos para las personas alóglotas en situaciones informativas, donde reciben información, y en situaciones comunicativas, donde pueden expresarse y ser escuchadas. Se añade, además, una comparación con los instrumentos internacionales en la materia para determinar cuántas situaciones discursivas reconocidas en aquellos se han contemplado en la legislación pertinente. Los resultados muestran que el sistema penitenciario rumano prevé pocas medidas específicas de T&I como parte de los derechos lingüísticos de la población reclusa alóglota y presenta un nivel intermedio de transposición en relación con las situaciones previstas en instrumentos internacionales. El estudio observa desequilibrios entre las medidas adoptadas para el disfrute de los derechos a la comunicación y a la información, y abre el debate sobre en qué grado la legislación silencia a la población reclusa alóglota.
- The glottopolitics of Països Catalans in the Valencian elections of 28 May 2023(2023) Lledó-Guillem, VicenteFollowing the Spanish municipal elections on 28 May 2023, the conservative party Partido Popular (PP) and the far-right group VOX reached an agreement to govern the Valencian region in coalition. Notably, their agreement explicitly mentions the term Països Catalans. Employing a glottopolitical perspective with an approach based on linguistic ideologies and post-colonial studies, this article scrutinizes the reference in connection with the distinct electoral programs of PP and VOX. The analysis underscores a shared linguistic agenda between the two parties. I contend that PP opposes the inclusion of the Valencian region in the Països Catalans by asserting the authenticity of Valencian as a separate language from Catalan, positing it as representing the Valencian identity. In contrast, VOX advocates for the dominant role of Spanish across formal societal domains by emphasizing the anonymity of Spanish as the language of no one and everyone. However, the agreement shows that PP’s electoral program can be read as denying the unique standing of the Valencian language in representing the Valencian identity, as the Valencian language is positioned at a parity with other Valencian cultural markers, such as music, artists, and folklore, all of which can ostensibly be expressed in Spanish. Consequently, the refusal of Països Catalans entails the disappearance of the Valencian language.
- Legitimized inequalities: Language rights and ideology(2023) Castelló Cogollos, Rafael ; Monzó-Nebot, EstherAquest text emmarca els articles del número monogràfic sobre les interseccions entre les ideologies i els drets lingüístics de Just. Journal of Language Rights & Minorities, Revista de Drets Lingüístics i Minories. L’article ofereix una revisió dels conceptes bàsics que articulen el número, a través dels quals s’argumenta que les ideologies que aconsegueixen predominança en les societats legitimen les desigualtats entre identitats socials, també en els marcs jurídics. La introducció posa l’èmfasi en el caràcter històric i dinàmic de les configuracions socials que estableixen relacions de dominació entre les identitats col·lectives. En aquest marc, la llengua esdevé un símbol d’identificació dels grups socials que encarna els conflictes entre grups. L’article finalitza destacant les contribucions dels articles publicats en el número a un diàleg que permeta visibilitzar els efectes de les ideologies lingüístiques i les distintes configuracions dels drets lingüístics en l’acceptació de les desigualtats entre identitats socials, com a primer pas per rebutjar-les.
