Basic Standards for the Correct Interpretation of Texts – Legal Texts, for example

Abstract

This study examines the role of Forensic Linguistics in the evaluation and interpretation of legal and judicial texts. It clarifies that legal texts are not restricted solely to formal statutes and legislation, but encompass all judicial transcripts, testimonies, and reports. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical methodology, the texts are categorized according to genre, register, and mode of writing, leading to the identification of distinct legal text types alongside illustrative analyses of their linguistic strategies. The findings reveal that the holistic examination of all linguistic levels and domains collectively contributes to establishing the "linguistic fingerprint." This serves as a decisive tool for identifying the true author or speaker in speech crimes. Furthermore, documenting spoken language verbatim effectively preserves criminal intent. The importance of this research is that it creates a scientific link between linguistics and the judiciary. This work will help judges, researchers and legislators to look beyond superficial interpretations through scientific tools, and will provide clarity on academic institutions to integrate these two fields into curricula. Hypotheses of the study: Hypothesis 1: The use of scientific methods and criteria of linguistic analysis prevents self-inflicted and misleading interpretations of legal texts. Hypothesis 2: The preservation of spontaneous spoken language in testimonies (without cultural modification) identifies the speaker's linguistic fingerprint and helps determine criminal intent.