Plain Language in Criminal Procedure Contexts

- on-line Course

* English Level necessary for the course: Advanced (B2)

This two-month term course will combine the basic theoretical concepts related to both Plain Language Standards and Criminal Procedure (different stages in a criminal action) The main purpose is to provide students with the tools necessary to understand court documents written in English and those necessary to rewrite and edit those documents to understand the underlying meaning. It is a combination of theory and practice to know and understand the different kinds of documents used in the criminal process.

INTRODUCTION TO PLAIN LANGUAGE BASICS.

Uses of different tools to achieve a clear writing and editing of texts related to criminal procedure.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

- To review Plain Language Standards for legal documents.

- To review Criminal Procedure in the Common Law System.

- To analyze terminology connected to criminal procedure.

- To incorporate Editing Skills.

- Revisiting Text Structure: Super, macro and micro structures.

- The typical structure of a court documents.

- How to organize information in long and short documents.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE BASICS

- Constitutional Amendments

- Pre-trial stage

- Grand Jury accusation

- Pre-trial examination

- Trial stage

- Post-trial stage

Professor: TP Rita Tineo

Platform: ZOOM