Language of Legal Education in Multi-Ethnic Societies: the Case of Transylvania
Language of Legal Education in Multi-Ethnic Societies: the Case of Transylvania

Summary/Abstract: In 1945, a university with Hungarian as the language of instruction was founded in Cluj (Kolozsvár), Romania, receiving the name Bolyai in December same year. This university offered a very successful Hungarian language legal education. In a nationalist turn, in 1959, the Bolyai University was forced to merge with the Romanian university of Cluj (Victor Babeș University), and the legal education was provided by the state only in Romanian. The merger in general and the cessation of the Hungarian language legal education was a historical shock for the Hungarian minority. According to the 2011 census, the Hungarians represent 6,5% of the population in Romania and 17,8% of the Transylvanian region. Due to the processes started in 1959, only 1,2% of the judges and prosecutors, respectively 2,2% of the attorneys belong to the Hungarian national minority.

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