Legislation

The President of the Republic,

Promulgates the law with the following content:

CLAUSE I

GENERAL

Article 1

The present law is intended to specify the general rules of the use, the promotion and the protection of the Arabic language in different areas of nation's life.

Article 2

The Arabic language is an authentic component of the national identity and a constant of the nation.

Its use conveys the national sovereignty aspect. The language is used publicly.

Article 3

All institutions must endeavour to promote and protect the Arabic language and must care of cleanness and good use.

It is forbidden to transcript the Arabic language in any other alphabet than Arabic.

CLAUSE II

AREA OF APPLICATION

Article 4

Public administration, all institutions, enterprises and associations of any kind shall use only the Arabic language in all their activities, such as communication, administration and financial, technical and arts management.

Article 5

All official documents, reports and statements issued by public administration, institutions, enterprises and associations shall be written in the Arabic language. The use of any other foreign language during negotiations and official meeting discussions is forbidden.

Article 6

All acts shall exclusively be written in the Arabic language.

No act may be written nor issued if it is written in any other language than Arabic.

Article 7

Requests, consultations and all pleas in jurisdictions are made in the Arabic language.

Court resolutions and judgements, statements and decisions of the Constitutional Council and national audit offices shall be expressed or issued in the Arabic language.

Article 8

All recruitment for positions in public administration and enterprises shall be carried out in the Arabic language.

Article 9

Educational programmes, national seminars and all professional training, as well as all public manifestations shall be carried out in the Arabic language.

Foreign languages can exceptionally be used hand in hand with the Arabic language at international conferences, meetings and manifestations.

Article 10

Seals, stamps and official signs of public institutions, administration and enterprises shall exclusively be made in the Arabic language.

Article 11

All correspondence of administration, institutions and enterprises shall exclusively be written in the Arabic language.

Article 12

Relations between local administration, institutions, enterprises and associations with any foreign counterpart shall be held in the Arabic language only. Treaties and conventions are adopted in the Arabic language.

Article 13

The official newspapers of the Democratic and People's Republic of Algeria shall exclusively be edited in the Arabic language.

Article 14

The official government journal of debates at the People's National Assembly shall be published in the Arabic language.

Article 15

Teaching, educational and training courses in all sectors and areas shall be held in the Arabic language except for teaching foreign languages.

Article 16

Under the conditions stated in the article 13 of this law, all news, aimed to inform citizens, shall be broadcast in the Arabic language. Specific information or information directed to foreign countries can be broadcast in foreign languages.

Article 17

Cinema and/or video films as well as cultural and scientific broadcasting shall be distributed or translated or dubbed in the Arabic language.

Article 18

Subject to compliance to the measures of the law about information broadcasting, all official statements, interventions, conferences as well as any other television broadcasting shall be distributed in the Arabic language. If originally published in any other language, they must be translated.

Article 19

All advertisements shall be produced in the Arabic language

The use of foreign languages can exceptionally be allowed, provided that it will be used in parallel with the Arabic language, when permission to do so is obtained from competent authorities.

Article 20

Subject to regulations on aesthetic transcription and correct expression, signs, boards, slogans, symbols, billboards and any other form of luminous, engraved or embossed writings indicating an establishment, an organisation, an enterprise or a local and/or mentioning the business therein undertaken, shall be produced in the Arabic language.

Foreign language can be used in parallel to the Arabic language in specified tourist sites.

Article 21

All documents, hard prints, packages and cans with technical instructions, user guides and compositions notably for:

• pharmaceutical products
• chemical products
• dangerous products
• rescue equipment and fire and disaster fighting equipment,

shall be printed in the Arabic language and other foreign languages under the condition that the Arabic language is emphasised.

Article 22

Names and labels of products, goods, services and any other merchandise, imported or traded in Algeria, shall be the n Arabic language.

Foreign languages can be used as complementary languages.

CLAUSE III

EXECUTIVE, SUPERVISORY AND SUPPORTING BODIES

Article 23

Under the leadership of the head of the state, a national executive body in charge of supervision and implementation of this law shall be created.

Its foundation and operation shall conform to commonly adopted principles.

Article 24

At the annual national debate of the People's National Assembly, the government shall present a detailed report on the process of the Arabic language generalisation and promotion.

Article 25

Limited to their prerogatives, elected assembly members and members of associations will watch and supervise over the generalisation and good use of the Arabic language.

Article 26

The Algerian Academy of Languages shall supervise over the enrichment and promotion of the Arabic language.

Article 27

A national centre shall be founded to:

• generalise the use of the Arabic language by all available modern means.
• translate scientific and technological research documents published in foreign languages and ensure their publishing in Arabic,
• translate official documents at request,
• ensure that scientific, cultural and documentary films are dubbed,
• put into practise theoretical research of the Algerian Academy of the Arabic Language and other Arabic institutions.

Article 28

The State shall award the best scientific research accomplished in the Arabic language.

The execution of this article shall further be specified by a special legal procedure.

CLAUSE IV

PENALTIES

Article 29

All official documents, issued in another language than Arabic, are void and with no effect.

The author of the document and anyone, who is responsible of legalising it, bears entire responsibility and the following consequences.

Article 30

Any violation of this law constitutes a grave wrong doing that can lead to disciplinary sanctions.

Article 31

Any violation of the articles 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 shall penalised by a fine ranging from DA 5,000 to 10,000.

Article 32

While exercising official functions, everyone who signs an official document issued in another language than Arabic, may be punished by a fine of DA 1,000 to 5,000.

However, it is possible to sign translated documents that can be used internationally.

Article 33

Directors of private enterprises, businessmen and craftsmen who have violated the articles of this law may be punished with a fine ranging from DA 5,000 to 10,000.

In case of a second offence, businesses or enterprises shall be closed temporarily or definitely.

Article 34

Political associations violating this law, shall be punished with a fine ranging from DA 10,000 to 100,000.

In case of a second offence, the disposition of the article 33 of the law No. 89-11 dated 5th July 1898 referring to political associations shall be applied.

Article 35

Any person, who has a material or moral interest in the application of the present law, may seek a recourse with administrative authorities or a justice process against any act that may be contrary to the articles of this law.

CLAUSE VI

TRANSITIONAL ARTICLES

Article 36

The law comes into force immediately after its publishing no later than on July the 5th 1992.

Article 37

Teaching in the Arabic language at schools and high schools shall come into effect first from the university year 1991/1992 and shall continue until its complete and definitive establishment, no later than on July the 5th 1994.

Article 38

All reports, analyses and medical prescriptions shall be written in the Arabic language.

However, exceptionally, reports may be written in a foreign language, before the completion of the arabisation process of medical and pharmaceutical sciences.

Article 39

Import of computer equipment, telex and other printing machines that does not allow printing of Arabic characters is forbidden.

CLAUSE VI

FINAL ARTICLES

Article 40

All articles of the regulation no 68-92 dated April 1968 on the obligation of the knowledge of the Arabic language by all civil servants and employees are abrogated, as well as the regulation no 73-55 dated October the 1st 1973 on the arabisation of national seals and any other legal regulations except for the present law.

Article 41

The present law will be published in the official government journal of the Democratic and People's Republic of Algeria.

Issued in Alger, January the 16th 1991

Chadli BENDJEDID

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