PERJURY AS A COMMUNICATIVE ACT: ANALYZING INTENTIONALITY AND ILLOCUTIONARY FORCE IN WITNESS STATEMENTS

Abstract

Perjury in judicial proceedings is not merely a legal transgression but a communicative act shaped by linguistic intent and strategic discourse. This article examines perjury through the lens of Speech Act Theory, focusing on how witnesses manipulate illocutionary force and intentionality to construct deceptive narratives. By analyzing linguistic markers such as assertives, commissives, and expressive tones, along with hesitation cues and contradictions, the study demonstrates how perjurious statements function as deliberate communicative performances. Two graphs illustrate the distribution of speech acts and the relationship between intentionality indicators and perjury likelihood. This analysis contributes to improved frameworks for forensic linguistics and judicial truth assessment.