Exploring the ideological implications of questions in elicitation in courtroom cross- examination discourse in Ghana

Abstract

Language has been identified as more than just a tool for communication. In many discourse domains, language has come out as an effective tool for enacting and recognising power, manipulation, ideological stance, and identities. Using Discourse Analysis as a methodological tool, this paper examines question as an elicitation strategy used by counsels during cross examination in Ghanaian legal discourse. Dwelling on fifty court transcripts from Ghanaian courts, the paper discusses the types and functions of questions used in elicitation during cross examination of witnesses and defendants by counsels. Results show, among others, that questions in elicitation serve ideological more than informative functions. This result has theoretical and pragmatic implications for legal discourse practitioners