Language crimes in comparative ethnolinguistic research

Abstract

The article proposes an original concept of language crimes as a subcategory of criminal acts in Polish criminal law and in criminal law systems of other countries. Focus is placed on their characteristics as the criteria for distinguishing them from other types of crimes, on relations between them as constructions of legal culture and other elements of culture, in particular language. In addition, three fundamental research perspectives for these crimes are proposed: they can be carried out as comparative ethnolinguistic research: the temporal perspective, the territorial perspective, and the "law in action” perspective. The latter derives from the achievements of a realistic legal school, which denies the significance of a static "law in texts”.