The Language of Education Law in England and/or Wales

In an article titled ‘What is the plain and ordinary meaning of the law? Are you sure about that?’ it was argued that an understanding of linguistic semantics and pragmatics enable the lawyer better to understand why meaning in law may be shared between writer and reader and also the way in which legal meanings may be ambiguous in ways other than those envisaged by the rules of statutory interpretation. It was further posited that the contribution of a dual legislature to a single legal text creates semantic and pragmatic variation that may be significant in terms of explaining the ethos and culture of the territory within which the legislature operates.

The objective of this article therefore is to explore these arguments further by unpicking the semantic and pragmatic content of Part I of the Education Act 1996.1 This article forms part of a projected body of more extensive work on Education Law in England and Wales.