This bestselling textbook has long been the standard reference for courses in forensic linguistics and language and the law. Using knowledge and experience gained in legal settings, the authors combine many perspectives into a unified textbook, focusing throughout on evidence from real cases including UK serial killer Harold Shipman and the murder of JonBenét Ramsey. Divided into two sections, it covers the key topics of the field and includes research tasks, further reading and web links. This edition includes new approaches, new material on courtroom discourse, forensic phonetics and authorship attribution, a new conclusion and glossary, ensuring it remains the essential textbook.