The symbolic dimension of law

Law is a unique sign-symbolic system. The legislator uses legal symbols to personify objects that exist in legal reality and that can be externally expressed by a symbol. Judges’ robes, border signs, military uniforms, coat of arms, anthem, flag—expressing these and other objects only with the help of text can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the legal norm, since the textual definition of a given phenomenon can give it an ambiguous meaning. The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between legal symbols and legal signs with the social functions of law, as well as with the psychology of law. The article discusses the issues of the functioning of legal emotions and their connection with linguistic means. Research methods include semiotic analysis and discourse analysis. The relevance of the research topic is related to the growing importance of global electronic networks and the corresponding changes in the perception of legal norms. The authors conclude that the legal or illegal behaviour of an individual is largely determined by both his ability to perceive legal symbols and legal signs, and the quality of the stimuli themselves and the corresponding information in the context of socialisation and communication.