Language issues in Contract Law: the case for consumer protection

Consumer protection ensures that consumers have access to accurate and unbiased information about goods and services they want to purchase, helping them to make the best choices based on their interests and needs, and preventing them from being taken advantage of by companies. Consumer protection laws are designed to protect consumers as they usually represent the weaker party in consumer contracts, which are legally binding agreements, governed by strict regulations and standards, between consumers and companies or sellers who provide goods or services. Different kinds of issues may arise in this area, but language issues in consumer protection are a major concern, as language and cultural barriers can negatively affect individuals who cannot speak English or the language in which the contract is drafted. As a consequence, consumers can be vulnerable to fraud and unfair practices. To effectively deal with language and cultural barriers, countries should adapt their domestic law and establish guidelines and procedures to overcome these barriers and provide consumers with the protection they deserve. This dissertation will shed light on language issues in Contract Law analysing the case of consumer protection and making a comparison between the two main legal systems: Common Law and Civil Law. The first chapter will introduce the concept of contract and its key features in the two legal systems. Chapter two will outline the concept of consumer protection and analyse the different approaches at state and international levels. In the third chapter, the focus will be on language issues and multilingualism, and we will analyse the use of English as a lingua franca. In the last chapter, we will provide examples of multilingualism in three different countries with three different jurisdictions.