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The language of legislation1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

Yon Maley
Yon Maley
Affiliation:
School of English and Linguistics, Macquarie University
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Abstract

The characteristics of the language of legislation are derived from its role in the institution of law. An analysis of the institutional context reveals links among history, social function, participant roles, accepted goals of legislation, and language use. The nature of an Act of Parliament as a perpetual speech act creates a frozen authoritative text so that the language itself becomes a component of the law. If legislation is to be both stable and flexible, institutional communicative strategies are required to organise linguistic means to these sociolinguistic ends. (Law, legislation, register, speech acts, communicative competence, communicative strategies)

Type
Articles
Information
Language in Society , Volume 16 , Issue 1 , March 1987 , pp. 25 - 48
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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