Lunchbox / Soapbox: Julian Burnside: Mind Your Language

Unhappily, many people for whom language is a central part of their life’s work are a bit careless about the way they use it. Go into any court or any parliament any day and see whether you find the language inspiring, or even intelligible. If we were carpenters, we would probably leave our hammer and saw in the rain. The point of language is to convey meaning. Ideally, it should do so accurately. Not all writers honour this ideal. The purpose of language may be betrayed by carelessness, foolishness or malevolence, by representatives of big business, bureaucrats and politicians.

Julian Burnside will speak about each, and will finish with some recent reminders that language can be used powerfully and effectively if only we take enough care.

Presenter

Julian Burnside

Julian Burnside, QC, is an Australian barrister who specialises in commercial litigation and is also deeply involved in human rights work, in particular in relation to refugees.