This work deals with international principles regarding the use of language in the administration of justice, and looks at the way in which multilingual countries such as Belgium and Switzerland approach this complex problem. The title then compares language practice in the judiciary and security services in South Africa and some countries of the Southern African Development Community against the background of evolving language policy in the region. This title discusses the use of official languages in a specific domain of government from the point of view that a language cannot be regarded as official simplu because a constitution prescribes it. Important conclusions are drawn regarding the role of the multilingual state.

"Multilingualism and Government" provides case studies and an overview of the way in which governments deal with societal multilingualism in countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the former Yugoslavia, in comparison with South Africa. The Universities of Antwerp in Belgium and the Orange Free State in South Africa have initiated a series of colloquia on Multilingualism and Government to be held over the next three years. This title is the outcome of the first of these and also the first of three publications that will follow from the colloquia. It specifically focuses on language policy and language legislation in these countries and presents a range of models, examples and also problems and challenges that need further attention. It is clear that each country is unique with regard to its language politics. However, it is also clear that the countries dealt with offer each other many useful lessons. For this reason the title offers an comparative forum on language policy matters.

This is a book about shifting national identities in Belgium. It is an attempt to show how these identities emerged and evolved. It aims at explaining why the Belgian identity, which in 1830 was so strong that it could create a new nation-state, has become so weak that today it has to accept a mere overarching role above and in competition with the new national loyalties. More and more people wonder whether this country will survive.