Police are (generally) required to inform a suspect of their right to remain silent before questioning that suspect about a potential crime. This is a key protection for suspects which is implemented through a policy about language. Unfortunately, there is evidence that many Aboriginal suspects in the Northern Territory often fail to understand their right to silence. A key reason for this is the way the right is expressed in the law and by police, centred on the expression ‘you don’t have to say anything’. Analysis of the meaning of this language shows that it is a vague way of providing legal information which relies on a subtle semantic distinction in Standard Australian English. This expression is especially vulnerable to misinterpretation by suspects who speak (or learn) other varieties of English, especially in conversations where police purposes are not clear. The way police explain the right to silence can be contrasted with other existing texts including translations which present the information in terms of agency, decisions and consequences. This suggests that the language policy could be significantly improved, with consequences for equality of access to justice.

中文翻译：

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“你不必说什么”：关于北领地沉默权的对话方式和后果

警方（通常）需要告知嫌疑人他们有权在询问嫌疑人潜在犯罪之前保持沉默。这是通过语言政策实施的对嫌疑人的关键保护。不幸的是，有证据表明，北领地的许多原住民嫌疑人往往无法理解他们的沉默权。造成这种情况的一个关键原因是法律和警察表达权利的方式，集中在“你不必说什么”的表达方式上。对这种语言的含义的分析表明，它是一种提供法律信息的模糊方式，它依赖于标准澳大利亚英语中微妙的语义区别。这种表达方式特别容易被会说（或学习）其他种类英语的嫌疑人误解，尤其是在警察目的不明确的谈话中。警方解释沉默权的方式可以与其他现有文本形成对比，包括在代理、决定和后果方面提供信息的翻译。这表明语言政策可以得到显着改善，从而影响诉诸司法的平等。