The Linguistic Analysis of Indictments in English Through Speech Acts and Evaluation Frameworks

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the linguistic features of indictments in English using speech act theory and appraisal frameworks. The theoretical background draws on Searle's (1969) taxonomy of speech acts and Martin and White's (2005) appraisal model for analyzing interpersonal meaning. The methodology employs qualitative textual analysis to code speech acts and appraisal resources in a dataset of 10 English indictments sourced from legal databases. Preliminary findings identified assertive speech acts describing alleged facts, directive acts asserting charges, and expressive and declarative acts conveying the prosecutor's stance. The analysis also revealed linguistic strategies for construing attitude and graduating intensity. Key results demonstrate how prosecutors rhetorically utilize speech acts and evaluation to formally assert charges, commit to proving accusations, and align readers against defendants. This research enriches our understanding of indictments from applied linguistic and discourse analytic perspectives. It provides practitioners with insights into crafting more deliberate indictments through language choices. Further research can expand the framework cross-culturally and to other legal genres.