Minority languages of the Czech Republic

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Languages of Czech Republic
Bilingual signs in Albrechtice (Karviná District)
Minority

The official language of the Czech Republic is Czech.[1]

Citizens belonging to minorities, which traditionally and on a long-term basis live within the territory of the Czech Republic, enjoy the right to use their language in communication with authorities and in courts of law.[2]

Article 25 of the Czech Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms ensures the right of the national and ethnic minorities to education and communication with the authorities in their own language. Act No. 500/2004 Coll. (The Administrative Rule) in its paragraph 16 (4) (Procedural Language) ensures that a citizen of the Czech Republic who belongs to a national or an ethnic minority, which traditionally and on a long-term basis lives within the territory of the Czech Republic, has the right to address an administrative agency and proceed before it in the language of the minority. If the administrative agency has no employee with knowledge of the language, the agency is bound to obtain a translator at the agency's own expense.[3][4] According to Act No. 273/2001 (Concerning the Rights of Members of Minorities) paragraph 9 (The right to use language of a national minority in dealing with authorities and in front of the courts of law) the same also applies to members of national minorities in the courts of law.[4]

As of 2022 the officially recognized minorities are:[2]

Resultingly, the following languages can be considered recognized minority languages:

The Slovak language may be considered an official language in the Czech Republic under certain circumstances, as defined by several laws.[3][5]

References & notes

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  1. ^ "Czech Republic". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  2. ^ a b "Historie a současnost Rady EN". Government of the Czech Republic (in Czech). 4 May 2006. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b "500/2004 Coll. ACT of 24th June 2004 Code of Administrative Procedure" (PDF). European Union. 24 June 2004.
  4. ^ a b "Government of the Czech Republic Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic No. 663 from 30 June 2004" (PDF). Government of the Czech Republic. 30 June 2004.
  5. ^ "337/1992 Sb. Zákon o správě daní a poplatků" [Act No. 337/1992 Coll. Act of the Czech National Council on the Administration of Taxes and Fees]. Zákony pro lidi (in Czech). 1 July 1992.