LANGUAGE USE WITHIN THE TEXT OF UNITED NATIONS RULES FOR THE PROTECTION OF JUVENILES DEPRIVED OF THEIR LIBERTY

Tatyana Shoustikova¹, Yana Chernysh²*
¹Prof. Dr., Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia - RUDN University (RUSSIA)
²Ms. Yana Chernysh, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia - RUDN University (RUSSIA) lf.law9@gmail.com
*Corresponding Author

Abstract

The paper has chosen the text of the Rules as the research subject due to the internationally significant status of this artefact of the contemporary verbal legislation that aims to support minors in detention conditions. This phenomenon has become rather common at the age of unscheduled migration that spreads globally. However, the language use issues with regard to the minors in the detention facilities have not become subject to the analysis so far.

The paper aims to explore the conceptual macrostructure of the text under study, and to compare the perceptions of target audiences with regard to the verbal representation and interpretation of the text under study. The paper considers a number of research questions, including trends in existing academic research on the issues under study, features of the text under study as a sample of legislation discourse genre, structure of the text under study from the angle of Cognitive Linguistics, stakeholders’ perceptions with regard to representation and interpretation of the text under study. The research materials combine academic literature on the topic,  the text of United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, and results of the surveys of lawyers and social workers who deal with the document under study.
The methodology of the study rested on the qualitative approach, combined theoretical and empirical analysis.

The research findings provide practical information for legal specialists and social workers who deal with the issues under study, bears relevance for language professionals who engage in drafting and polishing the texts of multilingual legislation, enhances the current methodological background for interdisciplinary discourse studies.

Keywords: language, discourse studies, language rights.