The book ‘Linguistics for legal interpretation‘ by Terrence R Carney has just been published by the University of Johannesburg Press. It is available in open access format.

I have reported previously on Terrence Carney’s excellent work, which is not only groundbreaking but also always presented in a clearly understandable way – a rare gift. As you will no doubt see – upon opening this book you will start reading and not put it down!

The author notes that the purpose of the book is “the provision of a linguistic toolbox”. Referencing Roger Shuy he points out that “legal scholars and practitioners are not always aware of or familiar with linguistics and how it can help them resolve legal disputes”.

Carney observes “Through my research, I have noticed how frequently legal practitioners and presiding officers rely on dictionaries and precedent cases to help them solve word problems […]. However, through this book I wish to introduce you to many more language tools that could help you understand and interpret contested words better.”

He adds “The primary target readers are presiding officers and legal practitioners preparing heads of argument. The focus is statutory interpretation, though constitutional interpreters and interpreters of contracts might also gain from this text.”