Communicative Features of the English-Language Judicial Discourse

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of the communicative features of the English-language judicial discourse on the example of introductory statements of court speakers during court sessions. The relevance of this research is due to the need to expand knowledge in the field of judicial discourse, a deeper analysis of the functioning of language tools that contribute to the optimization of communicative interaction based on mutual understanding of the parties involved in the discourse. This work is aimed at studying, identifying and analyzing the linguistic specifics of the expression of the position of lawyers, reflecting knowledge, opinions, assessments regarding the presented facts, considered within the epistemic modality. It is revealed that a characteristic feature of the linguistic expression of the speaker’s degree of confidence in the truth of judgments in the type of discourse under study is the self-positioning of the addressees using first-person pronouns; epistemic markers emphasizing the subjectivity of statements, personal opinions, assessments, relationships; intensifiers that strengthen the approved position of the addressees, and hedging language tools represented by markers of implicitness, uncertainty, hidden communicative impact on the addressee. It is established that the most frequent linguistic means in the type of discourse under study, contributing to the demonstration of the validity of judgments, emphasizing the subjectivity of the expressed opinion, assessment, position, commitment of the speaker in relation to the utterance, are first-person pronouns. Informing the addressee using epistemic markers in the opening speech of lawyers, combining the identified linguistic means in one discursive segment, marks the speaker’s involvement in the discursive event, interest in the facts presented, contributes to the effective presentation of information, maintaining contact with the addressee during court sessions, achieving communicative goals in the professional community.

Keywords

• judicial discourse
• opening statements
• epistemic modality
• stance
• evaluation
• persuasion