evidence: Yet the use of Welsh, the indigenous language of Wales, is legal in Welsh Courts whilst the use of Irish, the indigenous language of Ireland, is illegal in the courts of Northern Ireland and is a crime punishable by a monetary fine or contempt of court ruling. [...] Notwithstanding the secession of the south of Ireland from the United Kingdom in 1922, the situation regarding the use of the Irish Language in legal cases in Northern Ireland has remained unchanged. About 6% of the population of the North of Ireland speak Irish today, though the overwhelming majority of these speak it as a second language there is a very vibrant Irish language community in urban areas of Derry, Belfast and further afield among young people who view the language as a vital part of their cultural and political identity. [...] At present the only legal protection / status which the Irish language has in Northern Ireland comes from the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages to which the British Government is a signatory. The Charter calls for the promotion of minority languages, the facilitation of their use in public life and "the removal of restrictions which would discourage the maintenance of the language".[18]