To generate meaning, our languages rely on shared rules. But rules are not neutral: they set boundaries, limit what can be expressed, and shape our thoughts. When it comes to the language of the law, these rules set the path of people’s lives. Legal definitions determine what is valuable, who can access justice, and who is excluded. In translating our world into ‘legalese’, the legal system aims at consistency and precision – producing texts that leave the average person bemused by jargon and