Bilingual Law in Wales (and England): The Implications of Law Being Made in Two Languages.

This article examines the legal status and interpretation of bilingual Welsh legislation within the single jurisdiction of England and Wales, focusing on the equal status of Welsh and English texts as established by the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019. It outlines the historical suppression of Welsh in law, the gradual statutory recognition of Welsh alongside English, and the complexities arising from having one legal jurisdiction but two legislative bodies producing distinct versions of law for Wales and England. The article highlights challenges in statutory interpretation when bilingual texts differ, emphasizing the necessity for judges competent in Welsh to properly interpret Welsh law, as affirmed by recent Court of Appeal rulings following the Driver case. Comparative insights from Canada’s bilingual legal system underscore the importance of institutional bilingualism, while the article concludes that the principle of equal status for Welsh and English legislation must be fully implemented in judicial practice across Wales and England.