READING COMPREHENSION SECTION 1

WHAT IS LEGAL ENGLISH

L egal English is the style of English used by lawyers and

other legal professionals in their work.1 We can easily
recognize the style of it when we read legal writing and legal

when they write legal topics in Law Journals or Law Text Book.

as Statutes, Laws or Acts of parliament, Treaties, Conventions,

Contracts, Briefs, Views, Recommendations and other legal
correspondences.
The style of legal English is slightly different from general
English. It contains a number of unusual features, especially in its
terminology and linguistic structure. The sources of legal English
that their roots roots are from French Law and Latin also contribute
why this English is sometimes difficult to be understood and
very different from ordinary English. As an example, the writing

peculiar structure, functional is used insufficiently, and foreign

phrases are sometimes used instead of English phrases (e.g. inter
alia instead of among others). Sometimes unusual set phrases are
null and void.2

1 Legal English, h, the free encyclopedia,

page 1, accessed 11/17/2009.
2 Rupert Haigh, 2009, Legal English, Second Edition, Routledge Cavendish, New York,
page 7

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 BAHASA INGGRIS HUKUM • Legal English & TOEFL-Like Approach

As a set of phrase, Null and void, actually both words have

the same meaning: of no legal effect. When an agreement, for
a variety of reasons, is declared null and void, it means it is not
binding or non enforceable by either party.3 Besides unusual

“legal terms of art”. Legal terms of art are technical words and
phrases that have precise and fixed legal meanings and which
cannot usually be replaced by other words, for instance: share,
royalty and patent.4 As fixed legal meanings “patent” for instance,
in Intellectual Property Right dimensions based on Article 27
TRIPS Agreement, patents shall be available for any inventions,
whether products or processes, in all fields of technology,
provided that they are new, involve an inventive step and are
capable of industrial application.5 In national scope, for instance
in Indonesia, the definition of patent can be found in Article 1
the Act No.14 Year 2001 Concerning Patent. Therefore, “patent”
as an example of legal English only fits for invention in fields
of technology. If people have creative works in fields of art and
literary work, we can not say that they have patent but copyright.

3 Peter Alderson, 1995, Legal Dictionary For Australians, Mc Graw-Hill Book Company
Australia Pty Limited, Australia, page 103.
4 Rupert Haigh, Opcit, page 8.
Contemporary Intellectual
Property Law and Policy, Oxford University Press, New York, page 376.

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 Question and Answers using TOEFL-like model test

Answer all questions about the information in a passage on

the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage
by choosing the one best answer (A), (B), (C), or (D)
to each question.

Question 1-10

1. What does this passage mainly discuss?

(A) The General English
(B) The Legal English

(D) The sources of legal English

2. What is the purpose of this passage?

(A) To inform
(B) To persuade
(C) To criticize
(D) To apologize

3. The word it in line 3 paragraph 1 refers to

(A) Legal Writing

(C) Legal Research

(D) Legal English

4. The style of legal English commonly used by

(A) Lawyers and economic professionals
(B) Lawyers and other legal professionals
(C) Lawyers and other mathematic professionals
(D) Lawyers and other designer professionals

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 BAHASA INGGRIS HUKUM • Legal English & TOEFL-Like Approach

5. The word views in line 9 paragraph 1 is closest in meaning

to
(A) Recommendations
(B) Decisions
(C) Judgments
(D) Natures

6. The style of legal English is slightly different from general

English. It contains a number of
(A) usual features
(B) unusual features
(C) ordinary features
(D) extra ordinary features.

7. The sources of legal English are

(A) the UK Law and Latin
(B) the French Law and Latin
(C) the American Law and Latin
(D) the European Law and Latin

8. The meaning of phrases Null and void is

(A) has legal effect
(B) has no legal effect
(C) enforceable
(D) binding

9. Legal terms of art are technical words and phrases that have
precise and fixed legal meanings and which cannot usually
be replaced by other words. An example of “legal terms of
art” is
(A) Null and void
(B) Inter Alia
(C) Amicus Curiae
(D) Patent

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10. Patent as an example of legal terms of art only fits for
(A) Invention in fields of technology.
(B) Art and Literary works
(C) Design graphics
(D) Trade Mark and Brand.

TENTANG READING COMPREHENSION 1

Reading Comprehension adalah salah satu bentuk Model Tests

dalam TOEFL TEST. Umumnya dalam section ini, para peserta
ujian dihadapkan pada satu bacaan singkat (reading) dengan
berbagai topik. Sehubungan dengan proses pembelajaran dan
pengenalan Bahasa Inggris Hukum dengan TOEFL-like approach,
maka untuk Reading Section , topik-topik yang berkaitan dengan
bidang hukum menjadi relevan untuk didiskusikan. Mengenal
dan memahami ‘legal term” melalui pendekatan TOEFL-like
menjadi suatu alternatif pembelajaran yang holistik. Apakah
Bahasa Inggris Hukum sama dengan Bahasa Inggris Umum?
Ataukah jenis bahasa yang satu ini memiliki style atau gaya bahasa
yang berbeda dengan bahasa Inggris pada umumnya?
Bahasa Inggris Hukum digunakan oleh para ahli hukum
maupun para praktisi hukum sehubungan dengan lingkup
pekerjaan mereka di bidang hukum. Keberadaan Bahasa Inggris
Hukum (Legal English) dengan gaya bahasa atau model bahasa
atau style yang khas, yang seringkali berbeda dengan bahasa
Inggris pada umumnya, dapat dikenali dan dibaca melalui
tulisan-tulisan tentang berbagai topik bidang hukum, baik yang
aspeknya pidana, perdata, bisnis, tata negara, administrasi negara
maupun internasional yang tertuang dalam jurnal-jurnal hukum
maupun berbagai literatur atau buku-buku tentang hukum.
Selain itu keberadaan “legal terms” juga sangat mudah dikenali
dalam tulisan-tulisan pada berbagai Undang-Undang, Perjanjian
Internasional seperti Traktat maupun Konvensi, Kontrak, Putusan
Pengadilan, maupun Rekomendasi Hukum.