Call for Papers
Conference: Other Languages in Civil Proceedings
The use of language in judicial proceedings constitutes a fundamental element of the proper administration of justice. The issue of language use in judicial proceedings is highly topical today, although the perspective has shifted. The principle “the regional language is the language of the court” is no longer questioned as such in Belgium, yet strict monolingual proceedings are in a diverse and globalized society no longer self-evident. In other countries, such as the Netherlands, questions arise concerning the use of other languages, particularly in light of international commercial courts where proceedings may be conducted in English. In this context, “other languages” refers to languages other than the language(s) of the language area.
In South Africa, too, language use in court proceedings is the subject of debate. There, however, the debate concerns (a restriction on the use of) other (official) languages besides English. Although the South African language model traditionally aligned more closely with the personality principle (as opposed to the territoriality principle with different language areas), a former Chief Justice decided a few years ago that only English would remain the language of record. This raises questions about the status of other official languages in South Africa.
Against this diverse background, the use of “other languages in civil proceedings” may take different forms and serve multiple purposes. The first form concerns proceedings conducted in a language other than the language of the relevant area. This occurs, for example, with the use of English in large commercial disputes and in international commercial courts. A second form refers to the use of other languages solely for certain elements of the procedure, such as sources of law, documents submitted as evidence, witness and party statements, and expert reports, while the proceedings themselves are conducted in the language of the area. These forms may have implications for language knowledge requirements applicable to judges. These two forms also appear in South Africa, though in a different context given the restriction on the use of languages other than English.
The overarching theme – the use of languages other than the language(s) of the language area or the imposed procedural language(s) in civil proceedings – will be the subject of an international academic colloquium on 26 and 27 November 2026 at the Faculty of Law of the University of Antwerp. The colloquium will consist of three parts. The first part will provide an introduction to the theme from a supranational perspective, with attention to the ECHR, minority treaties, and European Union law. During the second part, we will welcome comparative law presentations from the Netherlands, Suriname, South Africa, and Belgium. Additionally, we welcome in the third part contributions from other countries where this theme is of particular relevance.
The aim of this comparative law colloquium is theory building on different models as well as a constitutional and human-rights based framework for assessing the use of other languages in civil proceedings, with particular attention to international commercial courts. During the colloquium, the approach in each country will be discussed, focusing on the required linguistic competence of judges, the protection of weaker parties, required (forms of) translation, the right to a public hearing, and the success or influence of (restrictions on) the two forms.
Speakers may apply for a presentation in the first, second, or third part by submitting a short biography (maximum 100 words) and an abstract (maximum 300 words) to jonathan.bernaerts@uantwerpen.be by 1 July 2026. Applicants will be informed of the decision regarding their candidacy on 30 July 2026. They will also receive guiding questions for their contribution. Contributions to the conference may be included in a collective publication. Any questions can also be directed to jonathan.bernaerts@uantwerpen.be.
Scientific committee: Jonathan Bernaerts, Beatrix Vanlerberghe, Frank Judo, Jean Sonnekus en Bastiaan Van der Velden
- Date conference: November 26 and 27, 2026
- Location: Antwerp, City campus
- Deadline abstract & short bio: 1 juli 2026
- Decision candidacy: 30 juli 2026
- Submission & contact person: Jonathan Bernaerts (jonathan.bernaerts@uantwerpen.be)