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Title THE LANGUAGE AND THE LAW: A SEMANTIC-PRAGMATIC STUDY OF THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (PREVENTION AND PROTECTION) BILL, 202

Author(s) Ahmad Zia

Abstract Title: The Language and the Law: A Semantic-Pragmatic Study of The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021 The present study comprehensively assesses the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021, concerning Pakistan. It explores the nuances of the terminology used in the Bill and looks at how applicable and significant it is in Pakistan’s sociocultural context. The study recognizes that language and law have coexisted historically and that there is still discussion about how they are related, especially regarding legal interpretation. The study uses a nuanced approach provided by Relevance Theory. This theoretical framework offers valuable insights into how language is processed and perceived within legal situations, highlighting its importance and effectiveness within Pakistani society. The study adopts a mixed-method research methodology, utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods to thoroughly evaluate the Bill’s significance. Content analysis gives qualitative data. Questionnaires with a closed-ended Likert scale are distributed to gather data using a convenience sampling technique. Forty professional lawyers from Islamabad ICT and District Lakki Marwat comprise the target population, allowing for a targeted analysis of viewpoints from legal practitioners working in different geographical contexts. The Bill, which tackles the four main facets of domestic violence—physical, psychological, economic, and sexual—represents a historic piece of legislation within the Pakistani legal system. The research recognizes Bill’s acknowledgment of domestic abuse in Pakistan but also points out areas that might be improved. The study found that language and interpretation are two different things and that the interpretation of the legal language depends on the context. It demonstrates a dedication to improving its effectiveness and applicability. Legal jargon and condensed language are found to minimize linguistic relevance because they increase cognitive processing. Implicatures and explicatures are found to differ under different contexts. Furthermore, the study found multiple explicatures of the Bill’s clauses, resulting in linguistic ambiguity and different interpretations than the drafters intended. Through careful analysis and consideration, this thesis attempts to add to ongoing discussions surrounding legislative reform and social justice in the Pakistani context.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

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Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-01-29

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