All posts tagged Speaking of Language and Law

Felicitous Consent

23 Felicitous Consent Tim Grant and Kerrie Spaul Within the volume The Language of Sexual Crime (2007) edited by Janet Cotterill, Peter Tiersma published a thoughtful paper, The Language of Consent in Rape Law, focusing on the nature of consent in the context of rape and sexual crime. His paper . . . Read more

The Sounds of Silence

19 The Sounds of Silence Malcolm Coulthard To be invited to contribute to a volume for Peter Tiersma is a daunting honour. He is the master of elegant argument and expression and a past master at choosing memorable examples—who can forget the Roman freeing his slave with a compulsory speech . . . Read more

The Language of Consent in Rape Law

21 The Language of Consent in Rape Law* Peter M. Tiersma Perhaps the most important feature of the word consent is that it describes a state of mind. It is not primarily a performative verb. Of course, it is possible to consent by saying “I consent.” So it might be . . . Read more