This is a title for educationists, language planners and managers in education, researchers and students preparing for a career in education. Language in education policy is probably one of the most contested issues in multilingual countries. This is because education as such is considered an important mechanism for achieving social change, and language is often seen as a vital instrument in aiding the process of change. These are some of the problems that the (re-)construction of political entities such as the European Union, the Southern African Development Community and new states such as South Africa, the Balkan states, and others bring to the fore. How, then, do they deal with multilingualism in the face of the forces of social integration, particularly in the area of education?

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.