DOCUMENTING FORENSIC LINGUISTICS IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT, perspectives in language and legal practice

310pp., paperback, Sun Press, Stellenbosch, 2025

ISBN: 9781991260819

This volume explores forensic linguistic issues relevant to the multilingual and culturally diverse African continent.

Contributors include Annalise de Vries, Stanley Madonsela, Nomfundo Mali, Eventhough Ndlovu, Haileleul Zeleke Woldermariam, Harris Pilisano Masake, Eliseu Mabasso and Wellman Kondowe.

"Through 14 comprehensive chapters, leading scholars examine the intricate relationship between language and law in Africa’s multilingual courtrooms. From police interview models to witness statement analysis, from authorship identification to the challenges of training forensic linguists, this volume offers unprecedented insights into the complexities of legal linguistics in African contexts. This groundbreaking work, an essential reading for legal practitioners, linguists, scholars, and anyone interested in the intersection of language, law, and justice in contemporary Africa, arrives at a crucial moment, as forensic linguistics emerges as a vital field across Africa. Rich in both theoretical foundations and practical applications, it sets a new agenda for understanding how language shapes justice in multilingual, multicultural societies." Professor Felix Banda: Linguistics Department, University of the Western Cape