Word of Mouth

Episode
How to Persuade a Courtroom
Broadcast Info
2025 (28 mins)
Description
Michael Rosen talks to criminal defence barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind about the legal language of Crown Court cases in England and Wales. From the grandeur of the courtroom and stock phrases like "with respect to my learned friend" to the more colloquial directness of talking to a defendant. How do barristers build persuasive arguments when talking to a jury, or when discussing legal matters with the judge? Do weak arguments hide behind elaborate language? Do the best barristers use more stripped back language? And how do they deliver their words? The tone, the pace, the performance.
Genre
Literature; Law; Language

How to cite this record

The Open University, "Word of Mouth". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/254383 (Accessed 09 Mar 2026)