17th Biennial Conference of IAFLL – Official Press release and conference video
We invite you to watch the official conference video: https://youtu.be/euhJXPJpG2g
Registration is open until 5 May 2025: https://form.jotform.com/243401202279548
The International Association for Forensic and Legal Linguistics (IAFLL) hosts a biennial conference every two years. The 17th Biennial Conference will be hosted by the University of the Western Cape, held at the President Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa from 30 June – 4 July 2025, under the theme transformative justice through a forensic and legal linguistics lens. This is the first time that an IAFLL Biennial Conference will be hosted on the African continent. In a ground-breaking development, isiXhosa and Afrikaans (two official majority spoken languages and considering provincial language demographics) will be track languages, alongside English. This is the first time African languages will be used at an IAFLL conference. The aim is to use two of our African languages equally alongside English at the conference. It presents speakers with an opportunity to disseminate research through their mother tongues and contribute to the intellectualisation, use, promotion and development of our languages in the discipline of forensic and legal linguistics. It also allows for practical research insights to be shared directly rather than through an English translation where meaning is lost.
IsiXhosa sesinye seelwimi zoMzantsi Afrika ebesicinezelwe ngokuba singasetyenziswa kwiziseko zikarhulumente nakumacandelo azimeleyo. Oku kungqinwa nangakumbi yimbali yolwimi yoMzantsi apho iilwimi zemveli bezingafumaneki nakumaziko anobuzaza apho ikamva labemi belizwe beligqitywa khona, iinkundla zamatyala. Ukusekwa kwezifundo zolwimi nomthetho (Forensic Linguistics) kuluphawu lokubonisa imizamo yokudlula kwezi nkqantosi bezingumqobo. Le nkomfa iyakuba yimbizo yokuchubelana ukuphuhlisa ukusetyenziswa ngokukuko nokulinganayo kwelwimi ingakumbi ezePhondo leNtshona Koloni.
In ʼn tyd waarin Afrikaans op talle terreine verskraal word en sy funksionele domeine ingeperk word, is dit merkwaardig dat hierdie internasionale konferensie die taal se hoogste funksie – wetenskapsbeoefening – erken en fasiliteer. Die feit dat Afrikaans hier as ‘n akademiese taal in die veld van forensiese en regslinguistiek gebruik word, toon die lewenskragtigheid en volhoubaarheid daarvan in ‘n veelvuldige, interdissiplinêre konteks.
There will be six national and international keynote speakers: The Honourable Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, Mandisa Maya; Dr Zakeera Docrat (South Africa); Dr Jennifer Glougie (Canada); Dr Celia Brown-Blake (Jamaica); Prof Emmanuel Satia (Kenya); Prof Tammy Gales (USA).
In addition to the stellar keynote speakers, the conference will also include five panel discussions: Courtroom discourse and legal education; hate speech and hate crimes; interpreting, translation and technology; police statement taking and investigations; vulnerable witnesses, gender-based violence and sex crimes. Each panel discussion will host five panellists comprising senior scholars, young researchers, South Africa legal practitioners and judicial officers. IsiXhosa and Afrikaans examples will be provided to advance practical insights from the South African perspective.
The conference will also see an entire day of proceedings dedicated to the theme of Gender Based Violence, in an attempt to highlight the current South African and broader international crisis.
Practical insights and innovative research presented and disseminated at the conference will enable informed approaches and solutions to be implemented in various legal systems and professions; while addressing the urgent need and supporting the ongoing efforts to linguistically transform the South African legal system and profession to ensure a system that is linguistically equal.
Sent on behalf of Dr Zakeera Docrat (and the Local organising committee).
Organising Committee: Zakeera Docrat (Co-Chair), Russell Kaschula (Co-Chair), Monwabisi Ralarala, Annelise de Vries, Mantoa Motinyane, Nomfundo Mali, Paul Svongoro, Laurian Lesch, Karien Brits, Grace Naidoo, Nokuzola Lusani, Melody Williams.