A court in Aberystwyth, Wales has ruled against the Welsh language campaigner Toni Schiavone and has allowed parking company One Parking Solution to claim costs in an extended legal dispute over an English-only parking notice. However, Toni Schiavone said he will continue to refuse to pay until he receives a copy of the notice from the parking company in Welsh.
Welsh language is not really protected by law
According to the judge, there was no legal basis to force the parking company to provide a Welsh language service. Language campaigners insist that this demonstrates a “serious flaw” in the legislation that protects the rights of Welsh speakers.
Toni Schiavone received the original charge in September 2020 for parking in a private car park in Llangrannog, but refused to pay as he did not receive the charge in Welsh or bilingually, despite sending the company two letters as well as calling them.
The first two cases were thrown out over technical issues, but at a hearing on 26 January this year, One Parking Solution won an appeal to continue to prosecute Mr Schiavone, after the judge ruled that there were no grounds to throw out the first two cases of the court.
Speaking during today’s court proceedings, Welsh language campaigner Toni 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 Charge Notice in Welsh or bilingually is reasonable and practical. It would have cost around £60 to translate.
This case could have been resolved very easily and very quickly by providing a Welsh or bilingual Parking Charge Notice. Does not doing so show prejudice against the Welsh language? In my opinion, it does.
Mr Schiavone told the court that the claimant had behaved threateningly, sending him a letter claiming £10,156.70 in legal expenses a day before his hearing in January as well as another letter with additional costs of over £4,000 two days before today’s case. According to research by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, translating the fine into Welsh would have cost only £60.
Wales: the government must act
The judge Lowri Williams said that Toni had behaved in an “honest, principled” manner during the case, and had shown an “unwavering dedication to the Welsh language and the cause for the language”.
However, she said during her verdict that there was nothing in the 1967 Welsh Language Act, the 1993 Welsh Language Act, or the 2011 Welsh Language Measure to compel the parking company to provide a Welsh language service.
She therefore ordered that Toni pay the £100 charge, as well as £70 for administrative costs, £11.90 interest and £85 for the court fee within 21 days.
After explaining her ruling and order, Toni Schiavone said “I understand, but I refuse to pay.” His statement was met by applause from his supporters in the public gallery.
Following the case, Siân Howys, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith‘s Rights Group, said:
Today’s judgment shows that – despite the Welsh Government’s claim – the Welsh language does not have equal status in Wales. The judge has done her work thoroughly and found that there is nothing in the legislation that ensures that Toni’s right to use his own language in his own country is respected.
It is clear, therefore, that the Welsh Government needs to correct the serious flaw in the legislation in order to ensure that the people of Wales can use the Welsh language in all aspects of their lives.
Welsh language version
Dyfarnodd llys yn Aberystwyth yn erbyn yr ymgyrchydd iaith Toni Schiavone heddiw (13 Mai) a chaniatau i gwmni parcio One Parking Solution hawlio costau mewn ffrae gyfreithiol estynedig dros rybudd parcio uniaith Saesneg. Er hynny, bydd Toni Schiavone yn parhau i wrthod talu nes iddo dderbyn copi o’r rhybudd gan y cwmni parcio yn Gymraeg.
Nid yw’r Gymraeg mewn gwirionedd wedi’i diogelu gan y gyfraith
Yn ôl y farnwraig, nid oedd unrhyw sail cyfreithiol i orfodi’r cwmni i ddarparu gwasanaeth Cymraeg. Mae ymgyrchwyr iaith yn mynnu bod hyn yn dangos bod “diffyg difrifol” yn y ddeddfwriaeth sy’n amddiffyn hawliau siaradwyr Cymraeg..
Derbyniodd Toni Schiavone y rhybudd gwreiddiol ym Medi 2020 am barcio mewn maes parcio preifat yn Llangrannog, ond gwrthododd dalu gan na dderbyniodd y rhybudd yn Gymraeg neu’n ddwyieithog, er iddo anfon dau lythyr at y cwmni yn ogystal â’u ffonio.
Taflwyd y ddau achos cyntaf o’r llys dros faterion technegol, ond mewn gwrandawiad ar 26 Ionawr eleni, enillodd One Parking Solution apêl i barhau i erlyn Mr Schiavone, wedi i’r barnwr ddyfarnu nad oedd sail i daflu’r ddau achos cyntaf o’r llys.
Yn siarad yn yr achos llys heddiw, dywedodd Toni Schiavone:
Mae’r Gymraeg yn Iaith swyddogol a chyfartal yng Nghymru ac mae gennym ni fel siaradwyr Cymraeg hawliau yn ôl y gyfraith, ac mewn egwyddor, dylid parchu hynny. Mae’r cais am Daleb Cosb Parcio yn y Gymraeg neu’n ddwyieithog yn rhesymol ac yn ymarferol. Byddai wedi costio tua £60 i gyfieithu.
Gallai’r achos yma fod wedi cael ei ddatrys yn hawdd iawn ac yn gyflym iawn trwy ddarparu Taleb Cosb Parcio yn y Gymraeg neu yn ddwyieithog. Ydy peidio gwneud hynny yn dangos rhagfarn yn erbyn y Gymraeg? Yn fy marn i, yndi.
Cymru: rhaid i’r llywodraeth weithredu
Dywedodd Toni bod yr hawlydd wedi ymddwyn yn fygythiol, gan anfon llythyrau yn hawlio £10,156.70 o gostau cyfreithiol ddiwrnod cyn ei wrandawiad fis Ionawr yn ogystal â llythyr arall gyda chostau ychwanegol o dros £4,000 ddeuddydd cyn yr achos heddiw. Yn ôl gwaith ymchwil Cymdeithas yr Iaith, byddai cyfieithu’r ddirwy i’r Gymraeg wedi costio dim ond £60.
Dywedodd y farnwraig Lowri Williams bod Toni wedi ymddwyn yn “onest, egwyddorol”, ac wedi dangos “ymroddiad di-wyro i’r Gymraeg a’r achos dros yr iaith.”
Er hynny, dywedodd yn ystod ei dyfarniad nad oes unrhywbeth yn Neddf Iaith 1967, Deddf Iaith 1993, na Mesur yr Iaith Gymraeg 2011 i orfodi’r cwmni parcio i ddarparu gwasanaeth Gymraeg.
Gorchmynodd felly bod Toni yn talu’r rhybudd o £100, yn ogystal a £70 ar gyfer costau gweinyddol, £11.90 o log a £85 ar gyfer ffi y llys o fewn 21 diwrnod.
Wedi egluro’i dyfarniad a’i gorchymyn, dywedodd Toni Schiavone “Dwi’n deall, ond dwi’n gwrthod talu.”
Yn dilyn yr achos llys, dywedodd Siân Howys, Cadeirydd Grŵp Hawl Cymdeithas yr Iaith:
Mae’r ddyfarniad heddiw yn dangos – er gwaethaf honiad Llywodraeth Cymru – nad oes gan y Gymraeg statws cyfartal yng Nghymru. Mae’r farnwraig wedi gwneud ei gwaith yn drylwyr a chanfod nad oes unrhywbeth yn y ddeddfwriaeth sy’n mynnu bod hawl Toni i ddefnyddio’i iaith ei hun yn ei wlad ei hun yn cael ei barchu.
Beth sy’n amlwg felly yw bod angen i Lywodraeth Cymru gywiro’r diffyg difrifol sy’n y ddeddfwriaeth er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl Cymru yn gallu defnyddio’r Gymraeg ym mhob agwedd o’u bywydau.
Featured image supplied
