van der heyde , wendy2026-06-182026-06-182025https://hdl.handle.net/10566/24544Cross-examination is seen as a skill requiring strategy. In the South African context, cross-examiners aim to convince the judge, who holds the ultimate decision-making power in a trial. Yet the impact of cross-examination on individuals on the witness stand is significant, particularly because they are typically non-experts in the legal domain who are unable to completely understand the questions and challenges presented to them during the process. This situation is paramount as well as problematic considering the nation’s representation of diversity, which is conveyed through language. The objective of this study is to analyse the persuasive strategies, challenges, and ethical implications associated with both linguistic and paralinguistic features, such as prosody, used during the cross-examination process. Linguistic cues encompass spoken and written language, while the paralinguistic cues (‘body language’) include facial expressions, eye contact, posture, gestures, tone of voice, and pitch. This study employs forensic linguistics to investigate the intersection of language and law, focusing specifically on the power imbalance that renders non-experts most vulnerable to the legal system. To concretise this claim, Aldosari (2024) posits that forensic linguistics unveils the hidden institutional agendas that govern the lives of typical individuals in various contexts. From a methodological standpoint, this study sought to explore the cross-examination process employed in South African courtrooms through an instrumental single case study, the State vs Omotoso and Others (CC15/2018). This study is based on two theories: the theoretical framework based on Grice’s four sub-cooperative principles of conversation derived from the Cooperative Principles (which include the maxims of quality, quantity, manner, and relevance). This framework demonstrates a notable coherence with the micro-level interaction, while Critical Discourse Analysis, which centres on power relations, is also applied to the analysis of the macro-structure of language within the context of institutional discourse. For the purposes of this study, the institutional and ideological foundations of the justice system are the broader macro-level structures that shape micro-level interaction. The findings indicate that all four conversational maxims were violated or flouted, and that the existing power dynamics play a significant role in shaping the cross-examination process on a micro- and macro-level.enSouth AfricaForensic linguisticsGricean maximsCritical discourse analysisParalanguageThesis