ABSTRACT
After a few preliminary considerations, especially as regards the way the English language as a whole has evolved over the centuries, the chapter focuses on the development of legal English since the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the influence of French and Latin. This is followed by a list of the features of legal English that have often contributed in making it hard for non-experts to understand. There is then an examination from a historical perspective of the various plain language initiatives that have been applied to legal English in the United Kingdom. The focus is in particular on what has happened over the last 50 years, with initiatives coming from both inside and outside government sources. There is then a brief outline of the case of plain language and jury instructions, followed by a look at some of the resistance to plain language in the legal sphere. The chapter closes with a few remarks as to whether it is still appropriate to refer to a plain language “movement.”
