Voorsitter, ek stel sonder kennisgewing voor:
Dat die Raad daarvan kennis neem dat -
(1) die onsekerheid oor taalbeleid wat in die Departement van Justisie geskep is, weer eens in die praktyk gemanifesteer het;
(2) die persepsie dat die departement se taalbeleid Engels is, 'n ondersoek tot gevolg het oor 'n prokureur wat geweier het om sy vrae in Engels te stel en dat die saak oor di ``onprofessionele optrede'' uitgestel is;
(3) in die praktyk verwarring heers oor taal van prosedure en taal van verslag in die howe; en
(4) 'n nasionale taalbeleid en -wet nou noodsaaklik is om rigting te gee aan die verwarring. (Translation of Afrikaans draft resolution follows.)
[Mr A E VAN NIEKERK: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council notes that -
(1) the uncertainty regarding language policy which has been created in the Department of Justice, has once again been manifested in practice;
(2) the perception that the department's language policy is English has led to an investigation regarding an attorney who refused to put his questions in English and that the case regarding this "unprofessional conduct" has been postponed;
(3) in practice confusion exists about the language of procedure and the language of record in courts; and
(4) a national language policy and Act is now essential to give direction to the confusion.]
Order! Mr Van Niekerk, I seem to recall that a similar motion has been tabled previously in this regard. I think we will look at the record and establish whether in fact this is so. I will not deal with the motion procedurally until we have established this fact. We do have more sittings this week and this afternoon, and will return to this matter.