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" LANGUAGE OF LAW   LANGUAGE OF LAW By Taki Ahmed Khan of Lincoln's Inn Barrister at-Law   It is a mistake to study law in isolation. It is intimately entwined with other human activities like economy, history, religion, tradition, culture and politics. Laws of England are no exception. Anglo Saxon laws were the codes of customary laws of Shires of England. They were Dooms of Ethelbert, Dooms of Alfred and Dooms of Cnut which were all written in Anglo Saxon Vernacular. As Christianity planted its feet in British Island, Latin which was the language of whole of Christendom entered into British language, culture and literature. The Churchmen established their ecclestical courts where the business was transacted in Latin. In 1066 C.E. William, the Conqueror defeated and dethroned Edward the confessor, who was the last Anglo Saxon King. The Conqueror replaced Anglo Saxon language with Norman French and Latin. The Continental legal ideas permeated the English Institutions. The Latin caught the fancy of the educated classes. The lawyers avidly studied Justinian's Code of Civil Law. The writs were issued in court-hand which was Latin. In 1216 C.E. Bractus wrote his great book on English Law, Tractatus De Legebus Angliae in Latin. The Register of writs kept by the King's order was maintained in Latin. During 12th and 13th Centuries, Latin was the official language of law in English Courts. Upper classes, however, expressed themselves in French; English was used by lower classes. The court records were kept in Latin but arguments in courts were addressed in French. In 14th century, Latin began to give way to French and French to English. After 1362 C.E. the oral arguments in courts were conducted in English. In reign of Richard III, the first Statute was enacted in…