Publication
Title
Flawless in translation? Legal translations in the Flemish legal professional press (1889-1935)
Author
Abstract
At the end of the nineteenth century, lawyers took the lead within the Flemish Movement (Vlaamse Beweging) and relentlessly strove for the equal use of both French and Dutch as official legal languages in Belgium. However, Dutch – actually Flemish – was deemed incoherent and hence unsuitable as a legal jargon. Aware of this setback, flamingant1 lawyers aspired to develop a legal ‘Flemish’ which would serve the needs of legal professionals. Through legal periodicals, these lawyers advocated a specific view on how French legal sources could and should be translated. In addition, they offered legal professionals the tools to adopt Flemish as a language in court. This contribution scrutinizes the actors of a handful of legal professional journals between 1889 and World War II, an era in which the so-called linguistic struggle soared. Even if the 1935 Act on Use of Languages in Court legally eased the linguistic tensions, editors and authors remained vigilant and kept offering translations for legal professionals. In this way, these lawyers positioned themselves at the front of Belgium’s linguistic issue as gatekeepers for legal changes in administration, education and the judiciary.
Language
English
Source (book)
Translation policies in legal and institutional settings / Bourguignon, M. [edit.]; Nouwens, B. [edit.]; van Gerwen, H. [edit]
Source (series)
Translation, Interpreting and Transfer
Publication
Leuven : University Press , 2021
ISBN
978-94-6166-410-5
Volume/pages
p. 181-204
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Publication type
Subject
Law 
External links
Record
Identifier
Creation 26.04.2024
Last edited 29.04.2024
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