C1 · 50 words
Court procedure in Spanish
Jurisdiction, evidence, appeal — the steps a file passes through.
El auto in a courtroom is a ruling the judge signs without a full hearing, and the same three letters do two other jobs. In the plural, los autos is the file itself, the whole bundle of papers in the case — consta en autos means it is on the record. And across most of Spanish America el auto is the car, where Spain says el coche. The legal one comes from Latin « actum », a thing done; the car is a clipped « automóvil ». Two unrelated roads that arrived at the same short word, which is why the register tells you which is meant long before the sentence does.
The words
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Verb (1)
comparecerto appear in courtVerbC1
Compareció con abogado y procurador.He appeared with a lawyer and an agent.
Phrase (36)
la jurisdicción competentethe branch of the courts that has power to hear itPhraseC1
La jurisdicción competente es la civil.The branch of the courts that has power to hear it is the civil one.
la competencia territorialwhich court by place has powerPhraseC1
La competencia territorial se discutió primero.Which court by place has power was argued first.
la primera instanciathe court that hears it firstPhraseC1
La primera instancia resolvió en un año.The court that hears it first decided within a year.
la segunda instanciathe court that hears the appealPhraseC1
La segunda instancia confirmó la sentencia.The court that hears the appeal upheld the judgment.
la parte dispositivathe operative partPhraseC1
La parte dispositiva ocupa media página.The operative part takes up half a page.
los fundamentos de derechothe reasons in lawPhraseC1
Los fundamentos de derecho son veinte páginas.The reasons in law run to twenty pages.
los hechos probadosthe facts taken as provedPhraseC1
Los hechos probados no se discuten en casación.The facts taken as proved are not reopened on a final appeal.
el escrito de contestaciónthe defence filed in answerPhraseC1
El escrito de contestación llegó el último día.The defence filed in answer arrived on the last day.
la audiencia previathe first hearing that sets the issuesPhraseC1
La audiencia previa fija los puntos discutidos.The first hearing that sets the issues fixes what is in dispute.
la proposición de pruebathe offering of the evidencePhraseC1
La proposición de prueba se hace en la audiencia.The offering of the evidence is done at the hearing.
la práctica de la pruebathe taking of the evidence in courtPhraseC1
La práctica de la prueba llevó dos sesiones.The taking of the evidence in court needed two sittings.
la prueba documentalevidence in documentsPhraseC1
La prueba documental es la más segura.Evidence in documents is the safest kind.
la prueba testificalevidence from witnessesPhraseC1
La prueba testifical se contradijo.Evidence from witnesses contradicted itself.
la prueba pericialevidence from an expertPhraseC1
La prueba pericial decidió el asunto.Evidence from an expert settled the matter.
la carga procesalthe step a party must take or losePhraseC1
La carga procesal recae en el demandante.The step a party must take or lose falls on the claimant.
la rebeldía procesalthe failure of a party to turn upPhraseC1
La rebeldía procesal no equivale a admitir.The failure of a party to turn up is not an admission.
la notificación edictalservice by public noticePhraseC1
La notificación edictal se publicó en el boletín.Service by public notice was printed in the gazette.
la medida cautelarthe order made to hold things stillPhraseC1
La medida cautelar paró la obra.The order made to hold things still stopped the building work.
el embargo preventivothe freezing of assets as securityPhraseC1
El embargo preventivo alcanzó a la cuenta.The freezing of assets as security reached the account.
la ejecución de sentenciathe enforcing of the judgmentPhraseC1
La ejecución de sentencia empezó en marzo.The enforcing of the judgment began in March.
el título ejecutivothe document that can be enforcedPhraseC1
El título ejecutivo es la propia sentencia.The document that can be enforced is the judgment itself.
la tasación de costasthe working out of the costsPhraseC1
La tasación de costas llegó a tres mil euros.The working out of the costs came to three thousand euros.
la condena en costasthe order to pay the other side's costsPhraseC1
Hubo condena en costas para el demandado.The order to pay the other side's costs went against the defendant.
la justicia gratuitalegal aid for those who cannot payPhraseC1
Le concedieron justicia gratuita.He was granted legal aid.
el turno de oficiothe duty rota of appointed lawyersPhraseC1
El turno de oficio le asignó abogada.The duty rota of appointed lawyers gave him a barrister.
la vista públicathe hearing held in publicPhraseC1
La vista pública se grabó entera.The hearing held in public was recorded in full.
el turno de conclusionesthe closing speechesPhraseC1
El turno de conclusiones duró una hora.The closing speeches lasted an hour.
el voto particularthe dissenting opinion written outPhraseC1
El voto particular ocupa cinco páginas.The dissenting opinion written out runs to five pages.
la doctrina jurisprudencialthe settled line of decision the courts followPhraseC1
La doctrina jurisprudencial es constante desde 2015.The settled line of decision the courts follow has held since 2015.
el precedente judicialthe earlier decision in the same linePhraseC1
El precedente judicial pesa mucho.The earlier decision in the same line counts for a great deal.
la cuestión prejudicialthe question referred to a higher courtPhraseC1
Plantearon una cuestión prejudicial en Luxemburgo.They sent the question referred to a higher court to Luxembourg.
el recurso de amparothe appeal on constitutional rightsPhraseC1
El recurso de amparo se admitió a trámite.The appeal on constitutional rights was accepted for hearing.
la nulidad de actuacionesthe wiping out of what was donePhraseC1
Pidieron la nulidad de actuaciones.They asked for the wiping out of what was done.
la dilación indebidathe delay that went on too longPhraseC1
La dilación indebida se compensó en la pena.The delay that went on too long was allowed for in the sentence.
el archivo provisionalthe provisional shelving of the casePhraseC1
Acordaron el archivo provisional del caso.They ordered the provisional shelving of the case.
la cosa juzgadathe matter already judgedPhraseC1
La cosa juzgada impide un segundo pleito.The matter already judged bars a second lawsuit.
Noun (f) (5)
la declinatoriathe objection that this court is the wrong oneNoun (f)C1
Presentaron declinatoria en el primer escrito.They raised the objection that this court is the wrong one at once.
la reconvenciónthe counterclaimNoun (f)C1
La reconvención cambió el pleito entero.The counterclaim changed the whole lawsuit.
la diligenciathe formal step taken in the caseNoun (f)C1
La diligencia se practicó fuera del juzgado.The formal step taken in the case was done outside the courthouse.
la deliberaciónthe judges going away to decideNoun (f)C1
La deliberación se prolongó dos días.The judges going away to decide took two days over it.
la indefensiónbeing left without a chance to defend oneselfNoun (f)C1
Alegaron indefensión por falta de notificación.They complained of being left without a chance to defend themselves.
Noun (m) (8)
el pleitothe lawsuitNoun (m)C1
El pleito duró cuatro años.The lawsuit lasted four years.
el careothe putting of two witnesses face to faceNoun (m)C1
El careo no aclaró nada.The putting of two witnesses face to face cleared up nothing.
el demandantethe one who brings the claimNoun (m)C1
La demandante pidió intereses.The one who brings the claim asked for interest.
el demandadothe one the claim is brought againstNoun (m)C1
El demandado no compareció.The one the claim is brought against did not appear.
el procuradorthe agent who files the papersNoun (m)C1
La procuradora presenta los escritos.The agent who files the papers lodges them.
el autothe ruling made without a hearingNoun (m)C1
El auto se dictó sin vista.The ruling made without a hearing was handed down.
el señalamientothe fixing of the dateNoun (m)C1
El señalamiento se aplazó a octubre.The fixing of the date was put back to October.
el sobreseimientothe final dropping of the caseNoun (m)C1
El sobreseimiento fue libre.The final dropping of the case was outright.
This list belongs to Law and contracts — 16 lists and 800 words that can also be practised as a whole.
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