Linguists and lawyers from a range of countries and legal systems explore the language of the law and its participants beginning with the role of the forensic linguist in legal proceedings either as expert witness or in legal language reform subsequent chapters analyze different aspects of language and interaction in the chain of events from a police emergency call through the police interview context and into the courtroom as well as appeal court and alternative routes to justice a . Linguists and lawyers from a range of countries and legal systems explore the language of the law and its participants beginning with the role of the forensic linguist in legal proceedings either as expert witness or in legal language reform subsequent chapters analyze different aspects of language and interaction in the chain of events from a police emergency call through the police interview context and into the courtroom as well as appeal court and alternative routes to justice a . The notion of thickening in legal language is presented and five possible explanations for this phenomenon are explored the essay concludes with a discussion of topics for future debate and research journal information founded in 1966 law society review is regarded by sociolegal scholars worldwide as a leading journal in the field the review is a peer reviewed publication for . Introduction language in the legal process xv fanet cotterill part i the linguist in the legal process 1 to testify or not to testify roger w shuy 3 2 whose voice is it invented and concealed dialogue in written records of verbal evidence produced by the police malcolm coulthard 19 3 textual barriers to united states immigration gail stygall 35 4 the language and law of product warnings