The Flemish nationalist deputies mainly refer to traffic cases on the outskirts of Brussels. “Anyone who breaks the law in Flanders must be judged in Dutch. The place of the offense must define the language of the procedure”, considers the N-VA. According to the party, the language legislation offers the possibility of “irresponsibly delaying” the legal process.
The Flemish nationalist deputies point to the offenses committed on the outskirts of Brussels, located in the Flemish Region. When an offender requests a language change, the file must be translated. Then, it is transferred to a French-speaking court which, according to the N-VA, has a greater backlog. In other words, a drug user or traffic offender can still drive while waiting for their case to be settled in another language, the party explains.
“Go and explain this to the many loved ones of traffic victims,” Messrs. Tiebout and Raskin said in a statement. “Sometimes the courts are obliged to order measures, such as the withdrawal of the driving licence, but cannot do so until the file has been translated.”
The N-VA says it is studying at the federal level, where the party is in opposition, how the language law can be adapted. The party then considers a legislative initiative.