MIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style | MIT
notes
it does seem to be a pattern of many of today's traditions: we do them because it's always been done.
not a good excuse, but it does make it hard to change.
what I found fascinating is the history of Nixon pushing for more layman's terms yet with little to show for it.
yet, one can point to today's slew of culture war driven executive orders as using language that is more accessible...
for better or worse ...
link
summary
An MIT study suggests convoluted language in legal documents conveys authority. Researchers found even non-lawyers use legalese when writing laws. The study, appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, explores why legal documents are difficult to understand, even for lawyers. MIT cognitive scientists believe legalese signals power, akin to magic spells. Edward Gibson, an MIT professor, notes that people seem to follow an implicit rule that laws should sound a certain way.