I Need An Interpreter

I was at the public library the other day looking for interesting finds on the classical literature section. The reading area was nearly empty, except for a number of people who appeared to be law students. My search was fruitless, so I decided to just browse through the latest periodicals.

I sat near the group of students since the area around them is well lit. I discovered that they were indeed law students, and were going through piles of statute books and court records.

One student was complaining that he’s having a hard time understanding the court decisions. Poor kid. I had a similar experience a few years ago when I was first introduced to legal documents.

I wonder why some judges choose to be esoteric when writing their orders or resolutions. Judicial decisions do not just concern lawyers. As they are the interpretations of the law, people are expected to be aware of them in order to be properly guided as to the true meaning of the law.

Judges and lawyers should really keep their language simple. After all, laws are primarily made for ordinary people like us.