Page 167 - 《客語及少數族群語言政策》附錄_少數語言法律

Reindeer Husbandry Decree
(883/ 1990) in the State authorities and herding cooperatives whose jurisdiction covers the Sámi homeland
in full or in part, as well as in the Reindeer Herders’ Association.

Sections 17 and 18 contain provisions on the application of this Act on State enterprises, companies and
private entities; section 30 contains provisions on the application of this Act on ecclesiastical authorities.

The special provisions applicable in the Sámi homeland appear in chapter 3.
Section 3 — Definitions

For the purposes of this Act:
(1) the Sámi language is defined as the languages of Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi or
Northern Sámi, depending on the language used or the main target population;
(2) a S ámi is defined as a Sámi individual as referred to in section 3 of the Act on
the Sámi Parliament (974/ 1995; laki saamelaiskäräjistä );
(3) the Sámi homeland is defined as the Sámi homeland referred to in section 4 of
the Act on the Sámi Parliament; and
(4) an authority is defined as a court and another public authority, a herding cooperative
and the Reindeer Herders’ Association, as referred to in section 2, subsections 1
and 2.

Chapter 2 — Linguistic rights

Section 4 — Right of the Sámi to use the Sámi language before the authorities A Sámi has the right
to use the Sámi language, in his or her own matter or in a matter where he or she is being heard, before
any authority referred to in this Act.

An authority must not restrict or refuse to enforce the linguistic rights provided in this Act on the
grounds that the Sámi knows also some
other language, such as Finnish or Swedish.

Section 5 — Linguistic rights of a legal person before the authorities
A corporation and a foundation whose language of record is Sámi has the right to use its language of
record before the authorities; the provisions in section 4 on the right of a Sámi to use the Sámi language
apply, in so far as appropriate, to this right.

Correspondingly, an educational institution whose language of instruction is Sámi has the right to use
the Sámi language as provided in subsection 1.

Section 6 — Use of the Sámi language in representative bodies
The Sámi members of the representative bodies of the municipalities of

Enontekiö, Inari, Sodankylä and Utsjoki have the right to use the Sámi language in meetings and in
written statements to be appended to the record. The same provision applies to the Sámi members of
State

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