Grammar in the Law
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The entry deals with the grammatical and syntactic characteristics of legal language as a specialized register, that is, a functionally differentiated variety of language used in certain professional contexts. Although the concept of “legal language” covers a broad range of different, though related, legal discourses, it is most commonly understood as the written language or style of legal documents, which may not be readily intelligible to the lay public. The entry reviews the characteristic lexicogrammar features of such operative legal documents as legislation and contracts, including impersonal constructions, passives with deleted agents, nominalizations and complex nominal phrases, syntactic discontinuities, cohesion, and modal verbs. It also describes some grammatical features found in spoken legal discourses, particularly in courtroom interaction. In addition, the entry notes that grammar can become the actual bone of contention in disputes over the interpretation of complex legal language and, importantly, also be used as forensic evidence, for example, where linguists are called upon to assess textual evidence and assist in the identification of possible authorship of disputed texts. Finally, attention is paid to the current trend toward the simplification of legal language, which has affected the ways in which legal documents have been drafted in recent years. |
| Related projects: |