4.2 Ochieng Orwenjo
Daniel Ochieng Orwenjo. (2014). Achieving Credibility in Quasi-Judicial Discourse: A Genre Analysis Approach to the Report of the Commission of Enquiry into Post-election Violence in Kenya. International Journal of Law, Language & Discourse 4(2), 98-130.
Abstract: This paper assesses the strategies used to achieve credibility in written judicial discourse by analysing the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Post-election Violence in Kenya. It is argued that Commission of Inquiry Reports, as texts, essentially constitute distinctive genres with particular defining characteristics. One such characteristic which sets them apart from other related genres-other types of reports-is the fact that Commission of Inquiry Reports have an inherent credibility and acceptability test since the authors would expect the stakeholders and other people that the report touches on to believe, accept, adopt, and implement its findings. Genres are conceived of as texts constituting particular conventions of content (such as themes or settings) and/or form (including structure and style) which are shared by the texts which are regarded as belonging to them. The paper concludes that the report of the commission adopts certain linguistic and formal strategies in an effort to achieve credibility but fails in this endeavour due to certain extraneous factors.
Keywords: Commission of Inquiry, Genre Analysis, Kenya
Category: Volume 4
