ABSTRACT

What role does linguistic diversity play in European democratic and legal processes? Is it an obstacle to deliberative democracy and a hindrance to legal certainty, or a cultural and economic asset and a prerequisite for the free movement of citizens? This book examines the tensions and contradictions of European language laws and policy from a multi-disciplinary perspective. With contributions from leading researchers in EU law and legal theory, political science, sociology, sociolinguistic and cognitive linguistics, it combines mutually exclusive and competing perspectives of linguistic diversity. The work will be a valuable resource for academics and researchers in the areas of European law, legal theory and linguistics.

chapter |16 pages

Linguistic Diversity and European Democracy

Introduction and Overview

chapter |18 pages

The EU and Languages

Diversity in What Unity?

chapter |26 pages

Multilingual and Multicultural Legal Reasoning

The European Court of Justice

chapter |24 pages

In Defence of (Limited) Multilingualism

Problems and Possibilities of the Multilingual Interpretation of European Union Law in National Courts

chapter |22 pages

Language Rights

The Interaction between Domestic and European Developments