In Canada, there are many plain-language practitioners and advocates. Some of them have law degrees. Also, the Canadian Securities Administration, the federal Department of Finance, the British Columbia Securities Commission, the Office of the Alberta Auditor General, and the Canadian Bankers' Association are all pushing for plain language.¹⁴

In the United Kingdom, the Plain English Campaign¹⁵ and the Plain Language Commission¹⁶ have been leading the charge and providing rewriting services and training for many years. There have been 2 major legislative developments. First, the new rules for civil procedure, which greatly simplify the language used in court proceedings.¹⁷ Second a project to rewrite the UK's tax laws.¹⁸

In South Africa, plain language is gathering momentum after a long period in which the country was focussed on even more important issues. Some law firms are attempting to establish plain-language practices. The government has been active in legislation. The Canadian lawyer, and plain-language expert, Phil Knight was the plain-language adviser to the Constitutional Assembly in relation to drafting South Africa's new Constitution. Phil has returned to South Africa to work on various legislative projects, the highlights being the Labour Relations Act 1995 and competition legislation.¹⁹

In New Zealand, the government is rewriting tax legislation in plain language and some major law firms provide plain-language services.

In the European Union there is an obvious and huge need for plainlanguage legal documents. At a conference in Denmark in 1994, translators from the European Union bemoaned the appalling English they were required to translate.²⁰