Published February 11, 2026 | Version v1
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PRAGMATIC FEATURES OF ENGLISH LEGAL DIALOGUE

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Senior lecturer Sarbon University

Description

This article examines the pragmatic features of English legal dialogue, focusing on how institutional context and participant roles shape meaning and interaction. By analyzing key pragmatic mechanisms, the study highlights the role of language as a tool of legal authority and persuasion. Legal dialogue is a form of institutional communication in which language plays a central role in the performance of legal actions and the administration of justice. In English-speaking legal systems, interaction occurs in regulated settings such as courtrooms and legal consultations, where participants’ speech is shaped by procedural rules and clearly defined professional roles. Consequently, legal dialogue differs significantly from everyday conversation in both structure and function. From a pragmatic perspective, meaning in legal dialogue emerges through interaction within an institutional context rather than from linguistic form alone.

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References

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