[Excerpts – Non-official translation into English]
Official Journal of the Balearic Islands No. 44, April 3rd, 2003.
Autonomous
Community of the Balearic Islands
Government Presidency
Act 3/2003 of March 26th, on the legal system of the administration of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands
The President of the Balearic Islands
Be it known to all citizens that the Parliament of the Balearic Islands has approved and I, on behalf of the King and by virtue of what Article 27.2 of the Statute of Autonomy establishes, promulgate the following
ACT
STATED PURPOSES
I
[…]
TITLE IV
RIGHTS OF CITIZENS
[…]
Article 35
Right to an appropriate attention
Any person establishing contact with the Administration of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands has the right to be attended with courtesy, diligence and confidentiality, and without discrimination based on sex, language, race, religion, social condition, nationality, origin, or opinion.
[…]
TITLE V
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY
[…]
Chapter
I
Language
Article 43
Use of Catalan in administrative proceedings
1. The Administration
of the Autonomous Community and the bodies being part of the instrumental
administration shall use Catalan in their internal proceedings as well as
in the relations between them. They shall also normally use Catalan in communication
and notices addressed to physical or legal persons living in the Catalan linguistic
area, without prejudice to the right of those persons willing to receive them
in Castilian, on request.
2. The use of Catalan in the proceedings of the administrative bodies being
part of the administrations referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be
subject to special regulation.
Article 44
Use of Catalan in administrative procedures
1. Catalan shall be used
in administrative procedures conducted by the Administration of the Autonomous
Community and the bodies being part of the instrumental administration, without
prejudice to the right of the persons willing to submit texts and documents,
make statements and, on request, receive notices in Castilian.
2. The Administration shall provide all persons requesting it a translated
affidavit of the procedures or the documentation concerning them. The translation
request shall not entail any prejudice or expense to the person who has submitted
the request, nor any delay in the procedures or the suspension of the proceedings
or of the settled deadlines.
[…]
Fifth additional provision
Unless stated otherwise by law, the linguistic provisions established in Articles 43 and 44 shall also apply to:
a) The Islands’
Councils
b) The bodies being part of the local administration of the Balearic Islands.
c) The instrumental bodies subsidiary of the administrations mentioned in
a) and b).
d) The public law corporations subsidiary of the administration of the Balearic
Islands.
[…]
Single derogatory provision
All provisions of an equal or inferior status opposed or contradicting what is established by this act shall be derogated, and specially:
a) Those provisions of
Act 5/1984, of October 24th, on the legal system of the Administration of
the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands still in force.
b) The second additional provision of Act 4/2001, of March 14th, on the Government
of the Balearic Islands.
c) Act 5/1994, of November 30th, on the representation and defence of the
Administration of the Balearic Islands before a court.
d) Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 10 of Act 3/1986, of April 29th, on linguistic
normalisation.
[…]
First final provision
The Government of the Balearic Islands is authorised to pass the necessary provisions aiming at the development of the present Act.
Second final provision
This Act shall enter into force three months after its full publication in the Official Journal of the Balearic Islands.
I, therefore, order all citizens to observe this Act and all the concerned courts and authorities to guarantee its observance.
Palma, March 26th, 2003
THE
PRESIDENT,
Francesc Antich i Oliver
The Minister of
Presidency,
Antoni Garcias Coll