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Ambiguities in the Language of Law:A Case Study of Selected Court Cases in Nigeria

Authors: IDOWU Olubunmi , & KALEJAIYE Abiola

Publication Type: Journal article

Journal: International Journal Of Humanities And Social Science Invention (ijhssi)

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Abstract

Language is legal practitioners’ tool of trade. Theintricate connection between both variables explains why law students at undergraduate level in Nigeria offer some General Studies Programme (GSP)courses in English. However, the scope of their GSP in language study is infinitesimal as some crucial areasin Systemic Functional Grammar such asstudy of ambiguities, covert/contextualisedmeanings andpoliteness etcetera which are crucial to logic and inferencing especiallyinEnglishasa Second languagesituation like Nigeriais relegated. It is on this backdrop that this paper investigated ambiguities in selected Nigerian court caseswith the view toexposing how meanings change in context.This paper identifiedtwo main types of ambiguities:Latent and patent ambiguities. However, it focused only on patent ambiguities under which seven typesof ambiguities:lexical, syntactic, grouping, phonological, contextual, grouping and punctuation ambiguitieswere identified.Of the various types, this paperonly studied lexical and contextual ambiguities in eight purposively randomlyselectedcourtjudgments.The analysis undoubtedly revealed that court judgments arefraught with lexical and contextual ambiguitieswhich could pose serious social-political, economic and security problems if not adequately handled by the judiciary.Therefore, this studyrecommendsthe inculcation of studies in Semantics and Pragmatics and someothervital aspects of Systemic Grammar into theGeneral /elective English Studies Programme offered bylaw students in Nigeria.

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IDOWU,O. KALEJAIYE,A. . (2019). Ambiguities in the Language of Law:A Case Study of Selected Court Cases in Nigeria, 8 (), 53-53.

IDOWU,O. KALEJAIYE,A. . "Ambiguities in the Language of Law:A Case Study of Selected Court Cases in Nigeria" 8, no (), (2019): 53-53.

IDOWU,O. and KALEJAIYE,A. and . (2019). Ambiguities in the Language of Law:A Case Study of Selected Court Cases in Nigeria, 8 (), pp53-53.

IDOWUO, KALEJAIYEA, . Ambiguities in the Language of Law:A Case Study of Selected Court Cases in Nigeria. 2019, 8 ():53-53.

IDOWU,Olubunmi , and KALEJAIYE,Abiola . "Ambiguities in the Language of Law:A Case Study of Selected Court Cases in Nigeria", 8 . (2019) : 53-53.

I.Olubunmi & K.Abiola , "Ambiguities in the Language of Law:A Case Study of Selected Court Cases in Nigeria" vol.8, no., pp. 53-53, 2019.

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