Are ‘coercive’ language policies fair?

Abstract This paper provides a normative justification regarding the fairness of ‘coercively’ protecting minority languages in mixed societies where the minority group already knows the majority language. To do so, it adopts first a theory‐testing approach and examines, by using the Catalan case, the validity of the arguments presented in Morales‐Gálvez's (2017) ‘protectionist’ theory of linguistic justice. In this vein, it argues that some of the ideas this author uses to defend the ‘coercive’ protection of minority languages still work when the minority group is bilingual. Yet, there are others that appear to be problematic. As such, this paper then unfolds using a theory‐building approach and reframes these concepts with the objective of proposing complementary arguments. This article concludes that ‘coercive’ policies to protect the language of a bilingualised minority group are fair and necessary if they aim to accomplish active reciprocal bilingualism and hence ensure equal rights for all speakers.