Within the framework of promoting the sound use of the Arabic language as the authentic vessel of legal thought, the Continuing Education Unit, in cooperation with the Arabic Language Integrity Unit at the College of Law – University of Baghdad, organized a scientific workshop entitled:
“Linguistic Errors in Legal Drafting: Analysis and Treatment”
on Monday, 19 January 2026. The workshop was delivered by Assistant Lecturer Maher Mohammed Ali, a faculty member in the Department of Public Law, and was attended by a distinguished group of faculty members, department heads, and college staff interested in both linguistic and legal matters.
The workshop was based on the belief that legal language is not merely a tool of expression, but a fundamental element in constructing legislative texts and shaping their meanings. Any linguistic defect may lead to ambiguity in understanding or deviation in interpretation, directly affecting judicial justice and the stability of legal rulings.
Main Themes of the Workshop
The workshop included three integrated academic themes:
First Theme:
•The relationship between language in general and law, and its significant impact on criminal investigations.
•A linguistic and historical (etymological) analysis of the term “law” (qanun), tracing its earliest appearance in classical linguistic and jurisprudential sources.
•The key linguistic characteristics that a legal text should possess.
Second Theme:
•An analytical study of subtle linguistic errors that occur in legal texts.
Third Theme:
•An overview of Arabic language curricula in colleges of law at selected Iraqi universities.
Recommendations
The workshop concluded with several important recommendations, including:
•Shifting from teaching “general language” to teaching “specialized legal language.”
•Introducing dedicated units on legal text analysis into the curriculum of fourth-year undergraduate and postgraduate students.
•Training students in proper legal drafting and applied linguistic practice within their specialization.
•Strengthening the integration between language, legislation, and judiciary as a unified system.
This workshop forms part of a broader series of scientific activities through which the College of Law seeks to reinforce awareness of the importance of correct Arabic usage in the legal field, recognizing it as an essential tool for sound legal reasoning and interpretation.
