Study finds legalese language a "magic spell" of authority

Researchers at MIT set out to study the origins of impenetrable legal language, especially complex sentences that mix definitions with directives—a hallmark of "legalese." Expecting to find that such language results from legislators or officials adding to and editing earlier, plainer versions of the text as the need and opportunity arises, they instead found that they were like that from the outset. — Read the rest

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