Jèrriais: promotion by the Public Sector (P.143/2018) – amendment (P.143/2018 Amd.)

STATES OF JERSEY

JÈRRIAIS: PROMOTION BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR (P.143/2018) – AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 23rd January 2019 by Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade

STATES GREFFE

2018  P.143 Amd.

JÈRRIAIS: PROMOTION BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR (P.143/2018) – AMENDMENT

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Before the words "to request the Council of Ministers to agree", insert the following new paragraph –

"(1)  that Jèrriais should be recognised as one of the official languages of

the Assembly; and",

and re-designate the opening words "to request the Council of Ministers to agree –" as paragraph (2) of the proposition.

DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

1. that  Jèrriais  should  be  recognised  as  one  of  the  official languages of the Assembly; and
2. to request the Council of Ministers to agree –

1. that  all  official  signage  and  departmental  letter- headings produced and used by the Public Sector in Jersey should be in Jèrriais with an English translation beneath;
2. that, in so far as is reasonably practicable, this policy should  also  extend  to  the  courts  and  those  bodies wholly or partly owned by the States or in receipt of States  funding,  with  implementation  plans  to  be included in their next annual reports;
3. that the implementation of the aforementioned should be as and when materials are renewed, replaced or rebranded;
4. that L'Office du Jèrriais should be consulted for any translation service as an official authoritative body;
5. that the practicalities of implementing the above policy for publications, websites and social media should be explored and a report presented by the Council of Ministers to the Assembly within 12 months of this proposition being approved.

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P.143/2018 Amd.

REPORT

I am very supportive of Deputy J.M. Macon of St. Saviour 's proposition, P.143/2018, which seeks to make Jèrriais more visible, more widely appreciated and understood.

It is very timely that it will be debated at a time when UNESCO has decided to dedicate 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. The Organisation states –

"Conservative estimates suggest that more than half of the world's languages will become extinct by 2100. Other calculations predict that up to 95 per cent of the world's languages may become extinct or seriously endangered by the end of this century. The majority of the languages that are under threat are indigenous languages. It is estimated that one indigenous language dies every two weeks.".

It is up to us whether Jèrriais is to become one of these extinct languages, or whether it is to survive.

It is curious that in the Jersey States Assembly, it would be out of order to speak in Jersey's native tongue; however, it is perfectly permissible to speak in a choice of 2 foreign languages – English and French.

This amendment does not seek to undermine or underplay the value and standing of these languages and their place in Jersey society or the Assembly; but it does seek to right a wrong by allowing for the use of Jèrriais in the Assembly. After all, if not in Jersey, which other country's Parliament should we expect to use and preserve Jèrriais?

https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp- content/uploads/sites/19/2018/04/Indigenous-Languages.pdf

/assemblyquestions/2017/(523)%20dep%20tadier%20to% 20ppc%20re%20jerriais.pdf

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial or manpower implications for the States arising from the adoption of this amendment.

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P.143/2018 Amd.