SIMPLIFYING LEGAL LANGUAGE IN JUDICIAL COMMUNICATIONS: THE COURT OFFICER AS A LINGUISTIC MEDIATOR

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of the court officer as a communication agent and practical translator of legal language, emphasizing their essential contribution to the effectiveness of judicial decisions and the democratization of access to justice. The discussion is grounded in the author’s professional experience and supported by bibliographical research on legal language. The study arises from the need to reflect on the technical content inherent to legal discourse and to examine the implementation of policies aimed at simplifying judicial communication, including the use of visual resources in procedural acts. The analysis explores multiple dimensions of communication—from nonverbal language to the strategic use of contemporary digital tools—while considering challenges such as Brazil’s high rates of functional illiteracy and the reality of a society that is simultaneously connected and dispersed. The theoretical framework is based on the works of Ferraz Jr. (2003), Foucault (1996), Wittgenstein (2009), Cappelletti and Garth (1988), Bahiense and Medeiros (2022), and Fischer (2009).