UPOREDNI PRIKAZ DISTRIBUCIJE MODALNIH GLAGOLA U BRITANSKIM PRAVNIM AKTIMA I PRAVNIM AKTIMA EVROPSKE UNIJE
A COMPARATIVE OVERVIEW OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF MODAL VERBS IN BRITISH LEGAL ACTS AND LEGAL ACTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Summary/Abstract: The English language used in the institutions of the European Union (EU) originates from the British variety, given that the United Kingdom (UK) was a full member of the EU from 1973 until 2020. As a result of this historical context, EU institutions considered the British variety their standard form of English up until Brexit (2020), after which this standard evolved into an Irish-British variety. It is important to highlight the use of the adjective “British,” as it can lead to the mistaken assumption that authentic British English is used within EU institutions–an assumption that is inaccurate, especially regarding the distribution of the modal verb shall, also known as “legal shall.” This paper offers a comparative overview of the distribution of modal verbs in British legal acts and EU legal acts, with a focus on shall, must, and may. Since Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is currently undergoing the process of European integration, the aim of this paper is to draw the attention of students–future translators–as well as anyone interested in this register, to certain distinctive features in the distribution of modal verbs in EU and British legal texts.

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