Language and Science in Court

This book examines how expert evidence is constructed in the adversarial system through language and embodied conduct. Drawing on data from the Conrad Murray trial, it identifies the resources expert witnesses mobilise to build credibility, defend competing assessments and translate complex knowledge for a lay audience. The book argues that how experts testify is inseparable from what they say. It demonstrates that prosody, gesture and physical presence are just as relevant as conceptual content in shaping juror decisions. Offering a new lens on knowledge mediation in court, this volume will be of interest to legal linguists and socio-legal scholars, as well as to anyone wishing to view expert evidence in new and revealing ways.