Cartoon of a bulb Don’t make a joke out of gender- neutral language. The fool who suggested “horshit” as a compound of “he”, “she” and/or “it” has been chastised by Miss Spelt.

Warning:

Don’t refer to women as “tricks”. If anyone should be called “tricks” it’s the men who use sexist language to take advantage of women. So all of you will drafters (as distinct from draftsmen) please avoid the – trix in “testatrix” and “executrix” and use “testator” and “executor” instead.

Next message: How to greet a transsexual person in your salutations!

Acknowledgements:

Aitken JK, Piesse’s The Elements of Drafting, 9th ed, Law Book Company, Sydney, 1995
Asprey MM Plain Language for Lawyers,2nd ed Federation Press, Sydney,1999
Huges B, (ed) The Penguin Working Words Penguin, Maryborough, 1995
Meehan M and Tulloch G, Grammar for Lawyers, Butterworths, Sydney, 2001

Cartoon of a phoneCall Tim Miles on ext 2508 or email TXM with your enquiries or comments

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