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submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

Joking, of course! What an exceptionally noble and admirable way to begin drafting a constitution.

🇩🇪 ♥ 🇲🇽

Translation"Human dignity is inviolable. Article 1 of the Basic Law (GG)"

"Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar" is the first sentence of Article 1 of the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG).

Disclosure: Alt text & translation were AI-generated.

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[-] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago

weird that the official translation uses shall be and not is. Because 'shall be' is a far weaker phrasing. If it 'is' inviolable than that is a spoken fact. Shall be is more of a guideline or ideal.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

It's more accurate though. Because human dignity is violated.

Also, if it was unviolable there would be no point in making laws to protect it.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

It's more accurate to real life, yes.

"Shall be inviolable" would translate to: Sollte unantastbar sein

Which is distinctly different from "Ist unantastbar"

So it's not the most accurate translation.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yes, to real life, this is what I intended to mean, sorry.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

I'm guessing, the translators just looked at typical English Legalese and emulated that style (even though the German text also uses the stronger "is"). For example, the US constitution is also written with "shall be": https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/

Ultimately, no matter how you formulate it, constitutions do still need to be upheld by people. Both, their continued existence, but also enforcement.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

@Ephera @lenuup
Pretty sure shall is a requirement in legal terms. Juts like
"In this document, the following verbal forms are used: 
— “shall” indicates a requirement; "
https://www.iso.org/ISO-house-style.html

this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2025
93 points (97.0% liked)

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