What is forensic linguistics?
Technical description: Forensic linguistics is the study, analysis and measurement of language in the context of crime, judicial procedure, or disputes in law, including the preparation and giving of written and oral evidence.
Explanation: The study of any text or item of spoken language which has relevance to a criminal or civil dispute, or which relates to what goes on in a court of law, or to the language of the law itself. Thus the linguist may be called upon to analyse a very wide variety of documents, e.g. agreements relating to ancient territorial disputes, the quality of court interpreting, an allegation of ‘verballing’ (claims by defendants that their statements were altered by police officers), a disputed will, a suicide note, a ransom demand, etc.
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Types of forensic text
We investigate documents of all kinds in all types of criminal allegation, including:
murder
robbery
burglary
taking without consent (TWOC)
assault, including sexual assault
child molestation and child pornography
malicious communications
terrorism
conspiracy
witness intimidation
mental abuse
libel
elder abuse
product contamination
blackmail
narcotics distribution
organized crime
driving offences
smuggling
crimes committed in prison
ASBO
Prisoner codes
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