MANIPULATION IN SPANISH LEGAL DISCOURSE (A CASE STUDY OF WITNESS EXAMINATION)

Pilshchikova Oksana Aleksandrovna

The article analyzes manipulation strategies in Spanish legal discourse used during witness examination. Based on a corpus of authentic court interrogations, it examines the linguistic and pragmatic mechanisms by which lawyers aim to influence witness testimonies and shape a favorable perception of events for their side. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the use of closed and open questions. The identified patterns in the application of manipulative strategies lead to the conclusion about the purposeful nature of legal communication and the need for a critical understanding of legal discourse.

Keywords:manipulation, legal discourse, judicial discourse, witness examination, verbal influence, types of questions, argumentation