Plain Language Movement

1. Plain Language Movement • Apparu au début des années 1970 aux Etats-Unis. • Plain language v. legalese. • Simplifier les documents juridiques destinés au consommateur (contrats d’assurance). • Modifier la fonction communicative des documents juridiques en les rendant compréhensibles pour les non-spécialistes.

2. Réformer la langue juridique • Remplacer la terminologie juridique par des mots simples. • Supprimer les expressions archaïques ou latines. • Préférer la forme active à la forme passive. • Préférer la forme positive à la forme négative. • Raccourcir la longueur des phrases. • Insérer des mots de liaison. • Éviter de séparer le verbe de son complément. • Limiter les emplois de shall.

3. ESP EGP • Sec. 181. A policy of insurance upon life or health may pass by transfer, will or succession to any person, whether he has an insurable interest or not, and such person may recover upon it whatever the insured might have recovered. • Sec. 181. Anyone may receive a life or health insurance policy, or inherit it, or be left with it if the insured has named him in his will. Whether that person owns something that is worth being covered by an insurance does not matter. That person can benefit from what the insured would have.

4. ESP EGP • Sec. 182. Notice to an insurer of a transfer or bequestthereof is not necessary to preservethe validityof a policy of insurance upon life or health, unless thereby expressly required. • Sec. 182. Even though the insurer is unaware that the insured has passed his life insurance policy on to another person, or has giftedit to another person by naming him in his will (just as mentioned above), the life or health insurance contract remains valid – except if it clearly states that it is necessary to inform the insurer.

5. Choix et rôle de la documentation • Recours à un glossaire de terminologie juridique en plain English : http://www.legal-explanations.com/index.htm • Double avantage : • Permet de mieux comprendre les concepts juridiques • Propose des synonymes non spécialisés

8. ESP EGP • Sec. 183. Unless the interest of a person insured is susceptible of exact pecuniary measurement, the measure of indemnity under a policy of insurance upon life or health is the sum fixed in the policy. • Sec. 183. The amount of the compensation paid to the insured is as high as the one provided for in the life or health insurance contract, if the insured does not own anything worth a precise amount of money.