Language and the Law - Paperback

by John Peter Gibbons (Author)

Explains and describes the ways that language use in the legal system can create inequality and disadvantage. It examines the three main areas where the two intersect: the central issue of the language of the law; the disadvantage which language can impose before the law, and forensic linguistics - the use of linguistic evidence in legal processes.

Each section of the book is preceded by an introduction by the editor which sets the paper within a conceptual framework. Lawyer's opinions are not neglected even though the collection is written mainly by linguists. The section concludes with a lawyer's response, in which a prominent lawyer with a particular interest in the content of the section responds to the papers.

Back Jacket

There is a rapidly expanding interest among lawyers, linguists, sociologist and anthropologists in the topic of language and the law. This book provides a valuable contribution to the limited range of resources on this issue.