We fancy the thought of having a home or even more a virtual planet of our own out here in cyber space. Many questions have been raised on the purpose of this planet. To that, the answer is that we citizens wish only to share the little knowledge and ideas of ours. Naturally, we would indeed welcome comments and thoughts on matters on our planet. No man is an island, and no planet is a solar system.

Friday, February 04, 2005

Legal Mumbo Jumbo

Help, help, can someone translate the below legal mumbo jumbo into plain English?

"
I/We shall not be released or exonerated from this Guarantee by any of the matters following:-
a) ...

b) The variation exchange renewal release or modification of any such securities, or the refusal or neglect to complete enforce or assign any judgment specialty or other security or instrument, negotiable or other wise, and whether satisfied by payment or not;

c) ...

"

Hmm, I wonder... can the language used in legal documents, contracts, constructions and/or orders be simpler and less obfuscated as the above? Are there volumes of subtleties that one have to know before one can embark on reading such legal constructions?

And, who's there to determine that legal documents are "legal" and "correct" if no one actually reads them? Well, the cost of reading such documents is almost certainly a lawyer's consultation fee. And, if laws are suppose to be "public", "civil" and "common", then why is it's understanding, creation and manipulation belong to only a small minority of the people for which it governs?

Is there any signs or hope that the language of law can be made simpler and more understandable? How can one abide by the law when one does not understand it in the first place? Like the blind leading the blind...

Come to think of it, many of the religions today too share in having their written teachings in equally confusing and obfuscated language. Perhaps it's because they are translations from ancient/old languages. Hahaha, but then, like beauty, translation too lies in the eye of the translator (a beholder can be very much the beholden)!

Care to comment?

1 Comments:

Blogger knfk said...

Yea.. makes you wonder why the sciptures and legal documents are not written in layman terms or perhaps ahbeng language. Whenever in doubt, get a lawyer to explain the meaning behind the wordings. Always remember this simple rule when dealing with legal matters - "Always keep your arse covered".

February 09, 2005 2:34 AM

 

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