Passions, tempo and rhytm in a criminal law process

Abstract

This work intends to demonstrate how passion intensity modulates a criminal law process, contributing to the production of its different senses. It’s based on French semiotics and ancient rhetoric theories. We present a few examples of passionate arguments found in the whole law process, showing the means defined to verify the passion grades involved in each of the texts. These grades are visualized in a graph which relates passion intensity, tempo and rhythm, as producers of different sense effects. Finally, we consider the contribution this approach can give to the comprehension of juridical argumentation and law phenomena in our society.