Compendium.cat: Catalan and the law of the Balearic Islands, closer than ever

Languages are not only useful for conversation, but also for legislating, negotiating, defending rights, and building societies. Catalan is one of them. And in the Balearic Islands, this reality takes on a special dimension: the native language coexists with a rich legal tradition that is part of the identity of the Islands and remains fully in force.

However, it is not always easy to find legal resources in Catalan, or to easily access forms, legislation, templates, or specialized documentation adapted to the peculiarities of our legal system. It was precisely with this intention that Compendium.cat was born, a portal promoted by the Consell de l’Advocacia Catalana that provides legal and administrative professionals, students, and citizens with a large repository of legal and administrative resources in the Catalan language.

More than a simple digital library, Compendium.cat is a meeting point for legal knowledge in Catalan. The portal collects hundreds of resources developed by institutions from all over the linguistic domain, such as professional associations, universities, public administrations, judicial bodies, and entities committed to the promotion of the language.

And the Balearic Islands play a prominent role. Since the beginning of the project, various institutions from the Islands have been actively involved, becoming allies of an initiative that shares the clear objective of demonstrating that Catalan is a fully valid language for practicing any profession, including the most specialized ones.

The Government of the Balearic Islands, the Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics, the University of the Balearic Islands, the Bar Association of the Balearic Islands, and the Obra Cultural Balear are part of the network of entities that have signed agreements with the Consell de l’Advocacia Catalana to collaborate with Compendium.cat by contributing knowledge, materials, and resources. Their participation is also a sign of commitment to the normalization of Catalan in the legal field and to the preservation and dissemination of the Islands' own legal heritage.

A project for the present and future

Because talking about law in Catalan in the Balearic Islands is also talking about its own civil law, its own legal institutions, and a normative tradition that is part of the heritage of the Islands. Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera preserve unique legal figures that explain a distinct way of understanding family relationships, assets, or successions. Knowing this own law is also a way to better understand the history and reality of the Balearic Islands.

In this sense, Compendium.cat offers an extraordinary opportunity, which is to facilitate access to these resources and make them available to anyone interested. A law student, a lawyer preparing a case, a public official, a researcher, or any citizen who wants to better understand the legal particularities of the Islands can find useful, practical, and accessible tools on the portal.

The project also responds to a present and future challenge, which is to ensure that Catalan continues to be a fully valid language for practicing highly specialized professions. Even today, many professionals encounter difficulties when drafting legal documents in Catalan or finding specialized terminology, forms, or updated models.

The consequence is that, on many occasions, people end up giving up on using their own language in certain professional fields. Therefore, initiatives like Compendium.cat have a value that goes beyond technology or digitalization. They are tools for linguistic normalization, but also for public service. They facilitate the work of professionals, contribute to generating more specialized content in Catalan, and reinforce the idea that our language is useful, modern, and perfectly prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.

The Balearic Islands have historically been a crossroads, a space for exchange, and shared construction. This is also true in the legal and linguistic spheres. The participation of Balearic institutions in Compendium.cat is a further demonstration of this willingness to cooperate and commitment to a common heritage.

Because Catalan is not just a language that identifies us. It is also a tool for work, knowledge, and cohesion. And the own law of the Balearic Islands is not a reality reserved for specialists. It is an essential part of our collective identity that deserves to be known, studied, and used.

Discovering it today is easier than ever. You just need to go to Compendium.cat and see that, even in the legal world, Catalan has a lot to say.