Legal English
Legal English or Legal English ( legal English ) is the legal jargon of English , which is used by lawyers. In particular, it is used in legal writings (such as in a contract , legal correspondence, or arbitration ). Today's legal English has its basis in everyday English (standard English), but contains various legal terms that are unusual in normal linguistic usage .
Legal spec
Legal English varies depending on which law the legal writing is based on. So the terms z. B. for contracts that were subject to the American legal system , in part different from those of contracts that were subject to the Swiss legal system. American Legal English differs from other legal English in other ways, e.g. B.
- lien generally means ' right of retention ', but only in American legal language does it mean ' non- possessory lien ';
- deed of trust means ' deed of trust , ' but in the United States it refers to a type of mortgage letter ; and
- public notary generally means ' attorney notary, ' but in US legal English notary public simply means a notary .
The American legal English has a different punctuation from normal English .
Key features
The main differences are:
- Technical terms, the meaning of which is generally unknown to the layperson (e.g. apostille , endorse , 'endorse', conditional intent ),
- unusual punctuation (only in American legal English),
- frequent use of terms derived from French and Latin,
- French, e.g. B. agent de son tort , ticket agents ' cestui que trust , from the Trust Beneficiaries ', en ventre sa mere , in the womb ', lien , retention ' terre-tenant , pension debtors ' etc.
- Latin, e.g. B. locus standi , Suit , process control authority ', prima facie , (evidence) of the first appearances' res judicata , laws, regulations , existing power ' solatium , pain and suffering , satisfaction' etc.
- Use of the outdated Pronominal (z. B. hereby , hereby -by ' thereof , of which', wherefrom , which, waraus' etc.),
- sometimes a strange sentence structure as well
- Paired formulas : In legal English there is a historical tendency to combine two or three fixed terms into one expression, e.g. As null and void for, void ' will and testament for, Testament ' or assign, cede and set over for (I) zidiere, cede '. Such twin and triplet formulas must be treated with caution, especially since certain fixed connections mean exactly the same thing (e.g. null and void ) and still others mean something similar but not identical (e.g. dispute, controversy or claim ).
Web links
- Swiss Legal English Dictionary , bilingual German-English dictionary for Swiss legal English or for legal writings in connection with Swiss law.
- American Legal English , monolingual dictionary for American legal English or for legal writings related to American law.
- Legal English from JuraWiki.