Case launched against Welsh language campaigner who refused to pay English-only parking fine thrown out
An appeal launched by a car park operator against a Welsh language campaigner who refused to pay its English-only parking fine, has been thrown out.
Deputy judge Owain Williams decided the company had delayed for too long before launching its appeal and introduced it under incorrect rules.
The original case against Toni Schiavone was kicked out last year when One Parking Solutions, which has its headquarters in Worthing in England, failed to attend.
Mr Schiavone was taken to court after he refused to pay a parking fine he received in a car park in Llangrannog as the fine and all correspondence were only in English, despite him requesting it in Welsh several times.
A counsel from the company attended today’s hearing, but the case was again thrown out.
Contemptuous
Mr Schiavone said:” The travel costs of the counsel alone are more than the cost of translating the fine, and the cost of conducting the case are a hundred times or more the cost of providing a Welsh fine.
“The company’s attitude has been completely contemptuous and completely against the rights of Welsh speakers.”
The judge ordered that One Parking Solutions pay Mr Schiavone’s travel expenses of.
He said that this money would be donated to the charity Cancer Research Wales.
Following the case, Siân Howys, of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Welsh Language Rights Group, said: “We are pleased that the judge ruled in favour of the defendant, as in a similar case in Caernarfon, where the judge Mervyn Evans-Jones ruled that the defendant did not need to pay an English-only fine.
“It is becoming increasingly evident that these companies need to change their attitudes towards the Welsh language. To put pressure on them we will today be launching a campaign encouraging people not to pay for parking in car parks with English-only signs, nor to pay the resultant fines.
“The Government should set Standards in this area and for other businesses, such as supermarkets and banks, so that there is a requirement for the private sector to provide their services in Welsh.”
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Everything in Cymru should be delivered bilingually. However, the thing that bothers me most about all of these cases is the way in which people refer to parking charges as fines, they’re not! Private companies CANNOT issue fines in Cymru, or England, and they CANNOT be given a warrant to do so. These charges are just what they a charge issued by a private company. Which in principal is fine, car park use, as with everything else, needs to be regulated, however, that’s not how it works in practice. These companies operate in a legal grey area. There is no… Read more »
These days, AIs can translate texts into Welsh. No excuse for companies not to provide a translation.
I would at a caveat that even though machine translation is hugely better than it once was, translations still need a human to add the final polish/correct contextual errors etc. More worryingly for me is the number of organisations that have pulled back on their provision of signage and services in Cymraeg*, and the absurd situation whereby the public sector is under a statutory obligation to provide services and information in Cymraeg and English but the private sector is still allowed to largely opt out. Tokenism should no longer be acceptable, so rather than a few bilingual signs over aisles,… Read more »
Da Iawn Toni Schiavone. So happy you won your case. You fight where others quit. Cymraeg is our and Britain’s native language, and I’m angry at the discrimination and prejudice shown towards those who keep our heritage alive.
Respect to Toni Schiavone for standing up to those contemptuous, anti-Welsh racist bullies.
It is sad the late Robyn Lewis is no longer with us in so far as the Eisteddfod is right in his ‘ fro ‘. Robyn with his judicial, legal and local government background warned those of us on the Welsh Language Board of the legislative pit falls ahead to deliver the outcomes Toni has so well highlighted. Robyn will no doubt be giving a smile at the outcome today and after a brief scolding of the current ‘ Welsh establishment’ would urge us to use this exemplar case to move forward to See it’s lessons are cascaded to all… Read more »
Part of the problem is the sub-contracting of so many services to companies in England. If the Welsh Government is serious about rebuilding the Welsh economy then surely it would behoove them to at least consider using companies based and registered in Wales? My elderly mother has an alarm system in her home in West Wales, just in case she needs help in an emergency. The company is very responsive, but it’s a company based in East Anglia I believe. My mother is fine with that, as she doesn’t speak much Cymraeg, (but I suspect she understands far more than… Read more »
Funny how there seems to be no problem with the Police resources for this. Maybe it’s because it’s such a cash cow and easy pickings
Much easier than catching burglars.
Not a police issue William as I was a civil matter concerning private parking 🅿️ by a private ownership. If it had been a public 🅿️ issue the Welsh Language scheme that local county and community councils have signed up to would have clicked in and the Welsh Language Board would have been involved.
The real question is why is a company from Worthing managing a car park in rural Wales? (and managing ineffectively at that!). Extractive economy. Cymru needs to be de-colonised.
Cytuno’n llwyr