The Role of Language In Ensuring Logical and Reasonable Presentation in Legal Texts

Abstract

Purpose: The study aims to identify principles and strategies for using language appropriately to ensure the logic, consistency, and clarity of legal texts while adhering to legal rules and requirements. Approach/method: Drawing upon Solan's (2005) insights on the relationship between linguistic structure and legal interpretation, Tiersma's (2008) analysis of how language choices shape legal communication, and Grice's (1989) cooperative principle regarding the effective conveyance of pragmatic implications, the study examines the interplay between logical structure, speech act forces, and pragmatic implications in achieving coherence and intelligibility in legal texts. The research analyzes how elements such as logical structure, speech act forces, and pragmatic implications influence the logic, consistency, and comprehensibility of legal texts. Finding: By analyzing data from 10 indictments across various offenses, the study proposes principles for employing a tight logical structure, selecting appropriate speech act forces for legal utterances, and adhering to cooperative principles to convey meaning clearly. Discussion: Applying appropriate principles and strategies for language use can contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of the legal system, promoting transparency and fairness in legal construction and application.