Legal Status of the State Language in Lithuania after the Restoration of Independence

Abstract

The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania has established the highest official status of a language, i.e. a state language. Compliance with this status requires an appropriate legal framework and institutions that develop and enforce language policy and legislation. The article reviews the development of the status of the Lithuanian language from 1918 to the present day, and presents the institutions that supervise the use and correctness of the language. The article describes the legal regulation of the official language in Lithuania. It reviews the legal acts that establish the requirements for the correctness and use of the language, and presents a hierarchical system of the related legal acts. The institutions responsible for language policy and protection are described.

Keywords

• language institutions
• language policy
• language status
• Lithuanian language
• state language