What is plain legal language?

What is plain legal language?

We should start with some terminology: what is ‘plain language’? Definitions vary, but for me it is language that communicates directly with the audience for which it is written. It allows the reader to understand on a first reading. It is organised in a way that meets the reader’s needs, not the writer’s needs.

What is the plain English movement in law?

The plain English movement is the name given to the first effective effort to change this and to write legal documents, particularly those used by consumers, in a manner that can be understood, not just by the legal technicians who draft them, but by the consumers who are bound by their terms.

When did the plain language movement start?

[12] The trend can be traced back to the New South Wales Local Government Act 1993, which Justice Michael Kirby recently described it as “a paragon in our midst”. [13] In at least three common law countries, substantial projects have worked on ways to simplify the language of tax statutes.

What are the origins of plain language and the plain language movement?

In the United States, the movement towards plain language legal writing began with the 1963 book Language of the Law, by David Mellinkoff. However, the movement was popularized by Richard Wydick’s 1979 book Plain English for Lawyers.

What is the plain language?

Plain language (also called plain writing or plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it. Language that is plain to one set of readers may not be plain to others.

Why is plain legal language important?

Legal documents, especially functional documents, should be written in plain language because a reader cannot act on a document the reader cannot understand. State and Federal Legislation requires that certain types of legal documents be written in plain language.

What is meant by plain English?

Plain language (also called plain writing or plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it. Writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience.

What does plain English include?

Plain English is a style of writing that enables the reader to understand the message the first time they read it. It uses short, clear sentences and everyday words without unnecessary jargon. To use plain English, you may need to edit your writing several times over, or even ask someone else to read it for you.

Why did the movement of plain English in legal writing start?

The premise behind the plain English movement is that legal documents ought to be plainer–and more comprehensible–to the average person. It’s probably fair to say that the modern movement began in the 1970s. But people have objected to the obscurity of lawyer’s language for many centuries.

What do you mean by plain language?

“Plain language,” also known sometimes as “plain English,” is writing in a way that helps readers understand the content in a document the first time they read it. It’s also the law. The Plain Writing Act of 20101 requires all federal agencies to use plain language whenever they communicate with the public.

What is plain language example?

Use plain words If you have to use a specialized term, explain briefly what it means, in parentheses. For example: “Patients have the right to make decisions about their bodily integrity (autonomy) and to have access to unbiased and accurate information about relevant medical issues and treatments.”

How do you speak in plain language?

How to Speak in Plain English

  1. Use as few words as possible to make your point.
  2. Don’t unnecessarily combine sentences.
  3. Get to the point and then explain it.
  4. Use vocabulary and language that you and your audience are familiar with.
  5. Use active verbs, not passive verbs.

When is Bengali Language Movement Day in Bangladesh?

In Bangladesh, 21 February ( Ekushey February) is observed as Language Movement Day, a national holiday. The Shaheed Minar monument was constructed near Dhaka Medical College in memory of the movement and its victims.

What was the significance of the Bengali Language Movement?

The Language Movement catalysed the assertion of Bengali national identity in East Bengal and later East Pakistan, and became a forerunner to Bengali nationalist movements, including the 6-Point Movement and subsequently the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Bengali Language Implementation Act, 1987.

When is international mother language day in Bangladesh?

In Bangladesh, 21 February ( Ekushey February) is observed as Language Movement Day, a national holiday. The Shaheed Minar monument was constructed near Dhaka Medical College in memory of the movement and its victims. In 1999, UNESCO declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day,…

Is the plain language movement still a movement?

Plain language is a movement no more. The legal profession has known this for some time. However, in the minds of key decision-makers in business and government, plain language is too often still seen as a movement. We need to remedy that by repositioning plain language in the minds of those decision-makers.