Courtroom talk and neocolonial control

Eades, Diana 1953- (Author).

Summary: "The book examines the social consequences of courtroom talk through detailed investigation of the cross-examination of three Australian Aboriginal boys in the case against six police officers charged with their abduction. Critical sociolinguistic analysis shows how courtroom talk, with its related assumptions about how language works, can serve to legitimize neocolonial control over Indigenous people."--BOOK JACKET.

Record details

ISBN: 9783110204827 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN: 9783110204834 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Physical Description: print
xviii, 389 p. ; 24 cm.
Publisher: Berlin ; New York : Mouton de Gruyter, 2008.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references ( p. 347-378) and indexes.

Formatted Contents Note:

Pt. I. Aboriginal participation in the criminal justice system -- Ch. 1. Introduction -- Ch. 2. Setting the theoretical scene -- Ch. 3. The societal and institutional straggle -- Pt. II. Evidence given in unequivocal terms? -- Ch. 4. Features of Aboriginal English communicative style -- Ch. 5. Lexical strategies -- Pt. III. Constructing the identities of the witnesses -- Ch. 6. Linguistic mechanisms for identity construction -- Ch. 7. Absolutely no regard whatsoever for law and order: David -- Ch. 8. More court appearances than some solicitors: Albert -- Ch. 9. Not a person to be overborne: Barry -- Pt. IV. Conclusions -- Ch. 10. No fear of the police: closing the Pinkenba case -- Ch. 11. Developments since the Pinkenba case -- Ch. 12. The power of courtroom talk.