PLAINER LEGAL LANGUAGE - DEFINITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS IN ACTS

The prescriptive principles often used to improve writing in general g enres have little relevance to the very complex legal prose found in a cts or other technically legal documents. This article explores some o f the stylistic complexities of definitions and requirements in a Cana dian Provincial Act, and generates and justifies fifteen recommendatio ns for creating a plainer legal language in acts. The recommendations range from orthographic presentation, referencing, and sentence arrang ement to complex listing, clause separations and punctuation. Although only the English language version of the Act is studied in detail, re ference is made to the French version where that is helpful.