Yet again this week I’ve found myself using StyleWriter, the plain language editing tool, and recommending it while training. Does it work? Emphatically yes! For example it’s one thing to learn in a training session that you should avoid the passive, using active verbs if possible. Exercises help you to identify and replace passives but, when you’re under pressure back at your desk, old habits die hard. StyleWriter is a brilliant reminder with its easy scoring and editing. If you use it regularly, plain language will start to come naturally to you. For more detail or a free trial go to https://www.cathywilcoxtraining.com/stylewriter/
Judge’s plea for well-written judgments
I’ve just enjoyed reading a speech from last year by Lord Neuberger (President of the Supreme Court of England and Wales) on judgment writing.
He says: “Judgments must speak as clearly as possible to the public. This is not to suggest that judgments could, or even should, aim to be bestsellers. Chance would be a fine thing. But every judgment should be sufficiently well-written to enable interested and reasonably intelligent non-lawyers to understand who the parties were, what the case was about, what the disputed issues were, what decision the judge reached, and why that decision was reached. Non-lawyers may not be able to grasp the finer details of the legal issues, because such understanding often can only come from many years of legal education and practice. They should however be able to understand what the case was about, even if they are unable to appreciate all the intricacies of the more abstruse legal principles.” I couldn’t agree more.
For the full speech see https://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/docs/speech-121120.pdf