FORENSIC LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF LEXICAL PATTERNS IN FIRST INFORMATION REPORTS (FIRS): A STUDY OF LEGAL DISCOURSE AND INSTITUTIONAL LANGUAGE

Abstract

First Information Reports (FIRs) are fundamental documents in the criminal justice system, and they are the starting point of formal records of a crime reported, which would then provide a basis for further action. FIRs are considered as a valuable place for forensic linguistic studies from both evidence and institutional perspectives. This study looks at the lexical patterns used in the selected First Information Reports (FIRs) in order to investigate the way legal discourse and institutional language are created in police documentation. The study is based on the theories of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) that helps to understand the linguistic devices that depict authority, legality, criminality and institutional power in FIR narratives. The data are five purposively selected FIRs that cover different types of offences such as theft, traffic and possession offences. A qualitative research design was used to detect repetition of lexical items, legal terms and institutional vocabulary in the texts and the patterns of discursivity. The representation of social actors, the use of the bureaucratic language, the construction of legal authority, as well as the lexical strategies used to position accused persons and complainants in the discourse, were paid special attention. The results show that FIRs have a very formalised and standardised lexical pattern which is dominated by legal and procedural terms. Institutional language is frequently used, as it helps to build police authority and to make legal procedures legitimate. Moreover, the selection of words has its own importance in providing context to criminal acts, setting the tone for credence of the evidence and ensuring the police report's bureaucratic nature. The study shows that the FIR is not a simple narrative of events, but rather a discursive text that embodies institutional ideologies and power relations. The results will add to the expanding area of forensic linguistics and document the influence or role of lexical patterning in legal and institutional discourse in the criminal justice documentation process.