Communication strategies: persuasion and politeness in Akan judicial discourse.

Abstract

Persuasive Akan judicial discourse includes a variety of effective strategies, among them the use of apologetic expressions or mitigators, deferential modes of reference, indirectly authored speech forms (e.g., tales, riddles, proverbs, etc. ), negotiation, complements, and acknowledgement of impositions. These persuasive strategies help legal professionals in dealing with the face-wants that arise in the judicial process. In this article, I demonstrate how Akan legal professionals, in persuading a chief and his elders to do what they will otherwise not do - pardon an appellant - employ one or more of these strategies to achieve their ends.