Forensic Linguistics: A Conceptual Frame of Bribery with Linguistic and Legal Features (a case study in Iran)

Abstract

Criminology is a wide-spread science with different scientific branches, one of which is forensic linguistics. Forensic linguistics as a sub-branch of linguistics is a new-born science which makes connection between linguistics and the law. Linguistic findings have been considered as evidences in courts in two last decades. Linguistics is a scientific study of language, and forensic linguistics as sub-branch of it could push linguistic findings into the jurisdiction. Forensic linguistics examines crime such as bribery with a new look. Bribery is a special crime committed by language; therefore, it is called language crime. The author aims to provide a conceptual frame, considering constructive features. Having gathered different data in Iranian courts and Bureau of Police investigation, the author found that speech act as a linguistic and constructive element is very important to form language crimes like bribery. Besides, bribery has five stages including problem, illegal proposal, perlocutionary act, completion and extension.