Conclusion

I said at the beginning that the plain language movement is now reasonably well-established. In its early days, it made the assumptions I have listed - assumptions about the benefits of plain legal language - without at that stage having verified the assumptions by empirical research. But now, about 20 years on, research has proved the assumptions to be correct. The evidence is overwhelming. Plain legal language brings substantial benefits to lawyers, to clients, and to citizens at large. It can be legally safe; it saves time and money; clients and citizens have a better chance of understanding it; and most judges prefer it. The evidence is all one way. I would suggest that there is no substantial reason to resist it.

Peter Butt
website: www.plainlanguage.org
email: peterb@law.usyd.edu.au