Legal Discourse, Notion, Types, and Characteristics: A Semantic Study

Abstract

Objectives: This study explores legal discourse, focusing on its types, semantic features, and distinctions from literary discourse.

Methods: This study, using a descriptive approach, investigates five key aspects of legal discourse: defining discourse and its ambiguity, exploring legal discourse as a term, analyzing its various types and features, and examining its characteristics and distinctions it from literary discourse. The study concludes by presenting research results.

Results: Legal discourse involves analyzing the language used in legal contexts. This analysis encompasses semantic contexts, linguistic rules (morphology), sound patterns, syntax rules, and connotations. Additionally, it considers the production conditions of the utterance, interpretive rules, and the circumstances that surround it from its production to the stage of its reception. Notably, legal discourse differs from literary discourse. It can be categorized into three types: legislative, judicial, and research. Its abstract nature employs specialized terminology, syntax structures, and methods distinct from everyday language. All of these results have been examined using examples from Bahraini legislative texts.

Conclusions: This study seeks to explore the linguistic aspect of legal science by defining the term “legal discourse” and examining its diverse types, stylistic features, and semantic characteristics. The study also encourages researchers in the field of linguistics to conduct theoretical or practical research on each type of legal discourse to yield results that can enhance the linguistic practice of law.