Forensic Linguistics: An Introduction to Language in the Justice System FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Forensic Linguistics is an introduction to the fascinating interface between language and the law. Examining the nature of legal language, the first half of the book demonstrates that the law is an overwhelmingly linguistic institution, since laws are coded in language and the concepts that are used to construct the law are accessible only through language. The book also explores the language of contracts and the language of legal processes, such as court cases, police investigations and the management of prisoners." The second half of Forensic Linguistics is more socially applied. It discusses the difficulty of understanding legal language, and linguistic sources of disadvantage before the law, particularly for ethnic minorities, children and abused women. The volume then considers legislation on language, including language crimes, as well as linguistic evidence.
SYNOPSIS
Suitable for both undergraduate and graduate level courses, Gibbons' (English , Hong Kong Baptist U.) text addresses the relationship between language and the law, and reasons for that relationship. Descriptive chapters explore spoken and written language and the law, legislation and legal documents, legal interaction, the manifestation of power in the language of the law, and the linguistic reconstruction of events in legal contexts. The concepts are socially applied in chapters on the difficulty of understanding legal language, linguistic sources of disadvantage before the law and ways to handle these, legislation on language, and linguistic evidence. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
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