Table Of Content‘The substantially revised edition of this pioneering forensic linguistics textbook
combines the formidable expertise and wisdom of two of the field’s most
respected leaders with the fresh perspective of one of its bright new scholars.
Students will love the fascinating illustrative data from a large number of real
cases from five continents.’
Diana Eades, University of New England, Australia
Praise for the First Edition
‘Seldom do introductions to any field offer such a wealth of information or
provide such a useful array of exercise activities for students in the way that this
book does. Coulthard and Johnson not only provide their readers with extensive
examples of the actual evidence used in the many law cases described here but
they also show how the linguist’s “toolkit” was used to address the litigated
issues. In doing this, they give valuable insights about how forensic linguists
think, do their analyses and, in some cases, even testify at trial.’
Roger W. Shuy, Distinguished Research
Professor of Linguistics, Emeritus, Georgetown University, USA
‘This is a wonderful textbook for students, providing stimulating examples, lucid
accounts of relevant linguistic theory and excellent further reading and activities.
The foreign language of law is also expertly documented, explained and explored.
Language as evidence is cast centre stage; coupled with expert linguistic analysis,
the written and spoken clues uncovered by researchers are foregrounded in
unfolding legal dramas. Coulthard and Johnson have produced a clear and
compelling work that contains its own forensic linguistic puzzle.’
Annabelle Mooney, Roehampton University, UK
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An Introduction to Forensic
Linguistics
An Introduction to Forensic Linguistics: Language in Evidence has established
itself as the essential textbook written by leading authorities in this expanding
field. The second edition of this bestselling textbook begins with a new introduc-
tion and continues in two parts.
Part One deals with the language of the legal process, and begins with a substan-
tial new chapter exploring key theoretical and methodological approaches. In
four updated chapters it goes onto cover the language of the law, initial calls to
the emergency services, police interviewing, and courtroom discourse. Part Two
looks at language as evidence, with substantially revised and updated chapters on
the following key topics:
• the work of the forensic linguist
• forensic phonetics
• authorship attribution
• the linguistic investigation of plagiarism
• the linguist as expert witness.
The authors combine an array of perspectives on forensic linguistics, using
knowledge and experience gained in legal settings – Coulthard in his work as an
expert witness for cases such as the Birmingham Six and the Derek Bentley
appeal, and Johnson as a former police officer. Research tasks, further reading,
web links, and a new conclusion ensure that this remains the core textbook for
courses in forensic linguistics and language and the law. A glossary of key terms
is also available at https://www.routledge.com/products/9781138641716 and on
the Routledge Language and Communication Portal.
Malcolm Coulthard is Emeritus Professor of Forensic Linguistics at Aston
University, UK, and Visiting Professor at the Federal University of Santa
Catarina, Brazil. He is the co-editor of the recently launched international journal
Language and Law, Linguagem e Direito and author of many books including An
Introduction to Discourse Analysis (1985).
Alison Johnson is Lecturer in English Language at the University of Leeds, UK.
She is the co-editor (with Malcolm Coulthard) of The Routledge Handbook of
Forensic Linguistics (2010) and an editor of The International Journal of Speech,
Language and the Law.
David Wright is Lecturer in Linguistics at Nottingham Trent University, UK,
and Reviews editor of Language and Law, Linguagem e Direito.
An Introduction to Forensic
Linguistics
Language in Evidence
Second edition
Malcolm Coulthard, Alison Johnson and
David Wright
Second edition published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 Malcolm Coulthard, Alison Johnson and David Wright
The right of Malcolm Coulthard, Alison Johnson and David Wright to be
identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2007
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Coulthard, Malcolm, author. | Johnson, Alison, 1959- author. |
Wright, David, 1948 December 10-Title: An Introduction to forensic
linguistics/ by Malcolm Coulthard, Alison Johnson and David Wright.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY ; Routledge, [2016] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016007458 | ISBN 9781138641709 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781138641716 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781315630311 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Forensic linguistics.
Classification: LCC K2287.5 C68 2016 | DDC 363.25–dc23LC
record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016007458
ISBN: 978-1-138-64170-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-64171-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-3156-3031-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Times
by Cenveo Publisher Services
This book is affectionately dedicated to our families
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Contents
List of illustrations xiii
Acknowledgements xv
1 Introduction 1
Legal words, murder, plagiarism, trademarks and a voice hoax 2
Who is this book for? 3
Organisation of the book 4
Reading and research tasks and how they function 4
The second edition 5
PART I
The Language of the Legal Process 7
2 Critical, theoretical, and methodological approaches
to language in legal settings 9
Introduction – Powerful professionals and ordinary people 9
Sociolinguistics and forensic linguistics 14
Pragmatics and legal language 19
(Critical) Discourse and Conversation Analysis 22
Corpus linguistics 26
Conclusion 29
Further reading 30
Research task 30
3 The language of the law 31
Introduction 31
Legal style and register 33
Ordinary and special meanings 44
On applying the law 46
Conclusion 48
Description:An Introduction to Forensic Linguistics: Language in Evidence has established itself as the essential textbook written by leading authorities in this expanding field. The second edition of this bestselling textbook begins with a new introduction and continues in two parts. Part One deals with the la
