A Corpus-based Approach to Comparative Lexicology and Structures for Multilingual Specialised Translations: English, French, German and Spanish First Instance and First-Tier Court Judgments

Abstract

This study employs a corpus-based approach to analyze and compare the lexicological and structural features of first-tier and first-instance court judgments from four major legal systems: English, French, German, and Spanish. The study aims to identify similarities and differences in these judicial texts, focusing on their phraseology, syntactic conventions, and unique jurisdictional terminologies. By analyzing a curated corpus of 80 court judgments, 20 from each jurisdiction, the study provides insights into the recurring linguistic patterns and stylistic features that shape the drafting of judicial decisions across these jurisdictions. The findings highlight the interplay between language, culture, and legal systems, underscoring the challenges and opportunities for specialized multilingual legal translation. Additionally, the study identifies frequently used phraseologies that contribute to a clearer understanding of legal reasoning, thereby offering practical tools for translators, legal practitioners, and scholars. This research contributes to the growing field of comparative legal linguistics and proposes strategies for improving the accuracy and functionality of multilingual legal translations in the context of globalized legal practice.