"la unitat de la matèria"

English translation: single-subject rule

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Catalan term or phrase:"la unitat de la matèria"
English translation:single-subject rule
Entered by: Adrian MM. (X)

08:31 Dec 11, 2014
Catalan to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law (general) / Referendum legislation
Catalan term or phrase: "la unitat de la matèria"
CONTEXT: It is from a list of conditions for holding a referendum based on popular initiative (in Switzerland).

"Aquestes iniciatives poden ser integralment redactades pels iniciants o al contrari, presentar-se en forma d'un projecte no redactat.....

....D'altra banda, tota iniciativa ha de respectar el ***principi de la unitat de la matèria*** i les regles imperatives del dret internacional."

This is obviously not the "the principle of the unity of matter" as in early physics. I suppose a literal fudge could simply be "the unity of the material" But before I use that, is there a legal phrase for such a concept that I am unaware of?

This is mainly from a sociological text with occasional forays into the area of law, rather than a full blown legal text, which I have only a limited experience of.
Berni Armstrong
Spain
Local time: 10:29
single-subject voting requirement
Explanation:
'One subect at a time please' lest ciitizens become muddled by a plethora of seemingly conflicting issues put to the plebiscite or referendum vote: to wit, should 1. Kosovan ex-nationals be allowed to play for the national Swiss soccer team 2. Swiss ex-nationals be allowed to play for the Kosovan handball team.
Selected response from:

Adrian MM. (X)
Local time: 10:29
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1single-subject voting requirement
Adrian MM. (X)
4the unity of the subject matter
Eva Gea


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
single-subject voting requirement


Explanation:
'One subect at a time please' lest ciitizens become muddled by a plethora of seemingly conflicting issues put to the plebiscite or referendum vote: to wit, should 1. Kosovan ex-nationals be allowed to play for the national Swiss soccer team 2. Swiss ex-nationals be allowed to play for the Kosovan handball team.

Example sentence(s):
  • The principle of the unity of the subject matter requires that the subject of a referendum may, in principle, have only one topic area as its subject, that is, that two or several substantive questions or subject matters may not be joined into one referen

    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-subject_rule
Adrian MM. (X)
Local time: 10:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rachael West: The reference is brilliant!
2 hrs
  -> Glad you liked the ref, Rachel and perhaps the swipe at the Swiss national football team.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the unity of the subject matter


Explanation:
Hi Berni,
In this context “matèria” does not refer to substance but to subject matter.

In this excerpt below, which I have taken from a copy I have from the book “Material didàctic per a cursos de llenguatge administratiu” published by l’escola d’Administració Pública de Catalalunya” from the Generalitat de Catalunya, you can see the intended meaning. This is part of a list of things to take into account when writing an official request… and it actually was the quickest official reference I had at hand! ;)

I hope this helps!

Ref:

Remarques

• Els mots instància i sol·licitud són sinònims, però és preferible el segon, ja que és el que s’utilitza sistemàticament a la Llei 30/1992, de 26 de novembre, de règim jurídic de les administracions públiques i del procediment administratiu comú.

• La sol·licitud es pot substituir per una petició escrita o per una carta quan la matèria de què es parla no és reglada, és a dir, quan no hi ha cap disposició administrativa, decret o convocatòria pública que estableixin la presentació d’una sol·licitud. En la petició solament cal indicar-hi el nom i els cognoms, el domicili i la signatura de la persona interessada, i concretar el que es demana.

• La sol·licitud no s’ha d’adreçar a una persona concreta, perquè no és un document nominal.

• …



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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-12-11 11:17:20 GMT)
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Disculpa Berni, en la meva explicació m’he centrat més en comentar el sentit específic de “matèria” en aquest context; hauria d'haver afegit una referència del conjunt de l’expressió, així que te la passo ara! Crec que et pot anar bé com a text paral·lel en anglès, on el terme en qüestió es refereix com “unity of subject matter”

http://www.iniref.org/swiss-dd.html


Eva Gea
Spain
Local time: 10:29
Native speaker of: Native in CatalanCatalan, Native in SpanishSpanish
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