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LANGUAGE AND THE LAW

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2003

John Gibbons
John Gibbons
Affiliation:
University of Sydney, Australia
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Abstract

Law is language. It is not solely language, since it is a social institution manifested also in non-linguistic ways, but it is a profoundly linguistic institution. Laws are coded in language, and the processes of the law are mediated through language. The legal system puts into action a society's beliefs and values, and it permeates many areas of life, from a teacher's responsibilities to a credit card agreement. The language of the law is therefore of genuine importance, particularly for people concerned with addressing language issues and problems in the real world—that is, Applied Linguists.

Type
Research Article
Information
Annual Review of Applied Linguistics , Volume 19 , January 1999 , pp. 156 - 173
Copyright
1999 Cambridge University Press

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