International Law explainers / What is 'legalese'?

Is this the most complicated form of English?

'Legalese' it's the language used by lawyers and if you've ever read the small print, you probably already know it can be confusing.

Not only can sentences be very long...

...they also often include terms in Latin...

...and old-fashioned words like these.

Perhaps it's no wonder the Cambridge Dictionary defines 'legalese' this way: 'language used by lawyers and in legal documents that is difficult for ordinary people to understand'.

Don't worry it's even hard for native speakers.

But why is it like this?

Many lawyers say it's to make legal documents as precise as possible,

so there is no ambiguity, while others admit it could be simplified.