About the IAFLL
What is the IAFLL
The International Association for Forensic and legal Linguistics (IAFLL) is an organization devoted to improving the functioning of legal systems throughout the world by means of inculcating a better understanding of the interaction between language and the law.
Anyone involved in studying, researching, or working in language in a legal context or language used as evidence are invited to apply for membership of IAFLL.
Purpose & Aims
The purpose of the IAFLL is to improve the administration of the legal systems throughout the world by means of a better understanding of the interaction between language and the law. More specifically, the Association aims to promote:
- The study and analysis of the language used in the law, including the language of legal documents and texts; legal discourse; and the language used in courts, other adjudicative bodies, law-making bodies, policing, and the penal system
- Application of linguistics-based knowledge to issues and problems that may affect legal systems or be adjudicated within legal systems.
- Alleviation of language-based inequality and disadvantage in legal systems and institutions, including issues involving legal interpreting and legal translation.
- The interchange of ideas and information between the legal and linguistics communities.
- Research regarding best practices and professional ethical standards in expert testimony on linguistics-based issues and in other forms of presentation of linguistics evidence and knowledge in legal systems and to legal institutions.
- Promotion of better public understanding of the interaction between language and the law.
- Promotion of practices and policies designed to make legal practices and institutions more accurate, fair, and equitable, serving the public interests.
Further Aims
Furthering the interests of linguists engaged in research on the development and practice of forensic linguistics;
Disseminating knowledge about language analysis and its forensic applications among relevant professionals around the world;
Promoting a Code of Practice addressing such matters as giving testimony in court and writing official reports;
Collecting and making available computer corpora of matters of value to forensic researchers, such as confessions, suicide notes, and police interrogations.
Join a community interested in all aspects
of the investigation of language and the law.
IAFLL Executive Committee Business Meeting reports (5th July 2023)
The IAFLL Executive Committee held its General Business Meeting on the 5th July 2023 during the IAFLL biennial conference in Manila, Philippines. Members are invited to read the agenda, minutes and officer reports below. IAFLL GBM 2023 Agenda IAFLL GBM 2023 Minutes...
Call for bids: 18th biennial IAFLL conference, 2027
The IAFLL Executive Committee is seeking bids to host the 2027 Biennial Conference. Proposals should be emailed by 1st March 2024 to Jennifer Glougie (President@iafll.org) and Felicity Deamer (Secretary@iafll.org). Informal enquiries about this event and the potential...
IAFLL Executive Committee 2023-2025
IAFLL invites its members to welcome the Incoming IAFLL Executive Committee for 2023-2025: Isabel Picornell – Immediate Past PresidentJennifer Glougie – PresidentTammy Gales – Vice PresidentFelicity Deamer – SecretaryAnnina Heini – TreasurerDavid Wright –...
2025 IAFLL Biennial Conference
The venue for the 2025 IAFLL biennial conference will be the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. It will be held from 30th June – 4th July 2025. The new Executive Committee looks forward to receiving proposals for Regional conferences in 2024 (& 2026)...
IAFLL: Business meeting
We would like to invite all IAFLL members to the biennial Business Meeting of the IAFLL which will be held at the upcoming conference in Manila. It will be held from 1pm local time on Wednesday the 5th July. At this meeting we will be announcing the incoming Executive...
IAFLL 16 programme now available
The conference programme for IAFLL, Manila, Philippines is now available and can be accessed and downloaded below. Please also note that the conference can be followed on social media on Facebook and Twitter. We look forward to seeing everyone at the conference! IAFLL...
IAFLL Executive Committee elections – voting now open
Voting is now open in the elections for the IAFLL Executive Committee 2023-25. As you will have seen, there is only one contested seat this year, that of Member at Large. Information about the candidates has been available on the IAFLL website since April...
16th biennial IAFLL conference – Student Travel Award winners
The IAFLL Executive Committee would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s postgraduate student travel awards to support attendance at IAFLL 16 in Manila. Each award provides a waiver of conference registration fees and reimburses reasonable travel costs up...
IAFLL Executive Committee nominations 2023-2025
IAFLL has received the following nominations for positions on the new IAFLL Executive Committee. Given that only one candidate has been nominated for each of the Officer positions, elections will take place only for the position of Member at Large, which will run for...
Update: 16th Biennial Conference of the International Association for Forensic and Legal Linguistics (IAFLL)
The 16th Biennial Conference of the International Association for Forensic and Legal Linguistics (IAFLL) will be hosted by the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, the Philippines. With the theme Forensic Linguistics: Strengthening Foundations, Rethinking Paradigms,...