Welsh language campaigner loses court battle over parking fine

There is no obligation to serve parking fine notices in Welsh in Wales, a judge has ruled in the case of a language activist who refuses to pay a fine notified in English.

The Welsh Language Society - Cymdeithas yr Iaith - said after a hearing at Aberystwyth Justice Centre that parking company One Parking Solution would still find campaigner Toni Schiavone refusing to pay until he receives a copy of the warning from it in Welsh.

Judge Lowri Williams found there was no legal basis to compel the company to provide a Welsh language service as nothing in the Language Act 1967, the Language Act 1993, or the Welsh Language Measure 2011 compelled it to do this.

Schiavone received the original warning in September 2020 for parking in a private car park in Llangrannog, but refused to pay as he did not receive the warning in Welsh or bilingually, the society said.

In January this year, One Parking Solution won an appeal to continue to prosecute Schiavone, after a judge ruled that there had been no grounds for throwing out two earlier cases brought to courts.

Schiavone said: “The Welsh language is an official and equal language in Wales and we as Welsh speakers have rights according to the law, and in principle, that should be respected.

“The request for a parking penalty voucher in Welsh or bilingually is reasonable and practical. It would have cost around £60 to translate.”

Judge Williams ordered Schiavone to pay the £100 notice, £70 for administrative costs, £11.90 interest and £85 for the court fee within 21 days, but he said he would refuse to pay until a Welsh notice was served.

Society chair Siân Howys said: “What is clear then is that the Welsh Government needs to correct the serious deficiency in the legislation in order to ensure that the people of Wales can use the Welsh language in all aspects of their lives."

Mark Smulian