# Spanish — Litigation, Administrative, Criminal and Settlement Sub-Lexicon

Auto-generated from translation experience. Maps Spanish civil, administrative,
criminal procedural, settlement and arbitration terms to their correct English
equivalents. Covers the Spanish court hierarchy (Constitución Art. 117), the
Civil Procedure Act (LEC — Ley 1/2000), the Administrative Procedure Act
(LPACAP, Ley 39/2015) and Judicial Review Act (LJCA, Ley 29/1998), the Criminal
Procedure Act (LECrim, 1882, as extensively amended) and Criminal Code (CP, LO
10/1995), the Arbitration Act (Ley 60/2003 — UNCITRAL Model Law-based), and the
transacción regime under Code Civil Art. 1809+. Flags Latin American Spanish
variants where relevant.

## Court System and Judicial Actors

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Juzgado / Tribunal | Court | "Juzgado" = single-judge; "Tribunal" = collegiate |
| Juzgado de Paz | Justice of the Peace court | Very minor matters; in smaller municipalities |
| Juzgado de Primera Instancia | Court of First Instance (civil) | |
| Juzgado de Instrucción | Investigating Court (criminal) | Pre-trial phase |
| Juzgado de lo Penal | Criminal Court | Up to 5 years' imprisonment |
| Juzgado de Violencia sobre la Mujer | Court on Violence against Women | Mixed civil/criminal jurisdiction |
| Juzgado de lo Mercantil | Commercial Court | Insolvency, IP, unfair competition, maritime |
| Juzgado de lo Social | Social (Labour) Court | |
| Juzgado de lo Contencioso-Administrativo | Administrative Court | |
| Juzgado Central de Instrucción | Central Investigating Court | Within Audiencia Nacional |
| Audiencia Provincial | Provincial Court / Provincial Court of Appeal | Second-instance civil/criminal; first instance for serious crimes |
| Tribunal Superior de Justicia (TSJ) | High Court of Justice | Top court of each Autonomous Community; civil/criminal/admin/social chambers |
| Audiencia Nacional (AN) | National High Court | Special jurisdiction — terrorism, serious economic crime, national admin |
| Tribunal Supremo (TS) | Supreme Court | Apex of ordinary jurisdiction; five Salas (civil, criminal, contentious-administrative, social, military) |
| Tribunal Constitucional (TC) | Constitutional Court | |
| Tribunal de Cuentas | Court of Auditors | |
| juez / magistrado | judge / magistrate | "Magistrado" = senior judge in collegiate courts |
| Ministerio Fiscal | Public Prosecution Service | |
| fiscal | public prosecutor | |
| Fiscal General del Estado | Attorney General / Prosecutor General | |
| Letrado de la Administración de Justicia (LAJ) | Court Clerk | Formerly "Secretario Judicial"; extensive procedural powers |
| abogado / procurador | attorney / court agent | Procurador: mandatory representative for court filings |
| graduado social | social graduate | Labour court representative |

## Civil Procedure (Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil — LEC 1/2000)

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil (LEC) | Civil Procedure Act | |
| juicio ordinario | ordinary proceedings | Claims > €6,000 and other specified matters |
| juicio verbal | oral / summary proceedings | Claims ≤ €6,000 and specific matters |
| procedimiento monitorio | order-for-payment procedure | Fast-track debt recovery; any amount since 2011 |
| procedimiento cambiario | cheque/bill/promissory note procedure | |
| demandante / actor | claimant / plaintiff | |
| demandado | defendant | |
| intervención de terceros | third-party intervention | |
| litisconsorcio | joinder of parties | |
| emplazamiento / citación | summons | |
| contestación a la demanda | answer / defence | |
| reconvención | counterclaim | |
| audiencia previa | preliminary hearing | Case-management hearing in ordinary procedure |
| juicio | trial / main hearing | |
| carga de la prueba | burden of proof | |
| principio dispositivo | party disposition principle | |
| principio de aportación de parte | party presentation principle | |
| interrogatorio de parte | party examination | |
| testigos / interrogatorio de testigos | witnesses / witness examination | |
| prueba documental | documentary evidence | |
| prueba pericial | expert evidence | |
| perito judicial | court-appointed expert | |
| perito de parte | party-appointed expert | |
| reconocimiento judicial | judicial inspection | |
| sentencia | judgment | |
| auto | order (reasoned) | |
| providencia | provision (simple procedural order) | |
| decreto | decree (from LAJ) | |
| cosa juzgada | res judicata | Formal and material |

## Provisional Measures and Enforcement

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| medidas cautelares | interim / precautionary measures | LEC Arts. 721+ |
| embargo preventivo | preventive attachment | Pre-judgment attachment |
| anotación preventiva de demanda | preventive registration of claim | Against registered property |
| prohibición de disponer | prohibition of disposition | |
| intervención judicial | judicial intervention / administration | |
| caución | security / bond | |
| ejecución provisional | provisional enforcement | Against non-final judgments |
| título ejecutivo | executory title | |
| despacho de ejecución | writ of execution | |
| tercería de dominio / de mejor derecho | third-party ownership / priority claim | |
| multa coercitiva | periodic penalty | Judicial pressure; LEC 709 |
| concurso de acreedores | insolvency / creditors' arrangement | Under Ley Concursal (TRLC, RDL 1/2020) |
| preconcurso / comunicación art. 5 bis | pre-insolvency communication | Now "art. 583 TRLC" |
| acuerdo de refinanciación | refinancing agreement | |
| convenio | insolvency composition | |
| liquidación | liquidation phase | |

## Appeal and Extraordinary Remedies

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| recurso ordinario | ordinary appeal | |
| recurso de reposición | reposición appeal | Against procedural orders (LEC) |
| recurso de apelación | appeal | To Audiencia Provincial / TSJ (admin) |
| recurso extraordinario por infracción procesal | extraordinary appeal for procedural violation | To TSJ / TS — narrow grounds |
| recurso de casación | cassation appeal | To TS; Civil: on matters of "interés casacional" |
| recurso de queja | complaint appeal | Against denial of appeal |
| revisión de sentencia firme | revision of final judgment | Extraordinary — fraud/false evidence/new documents |
| nulidad de actuaciones | nullity of procedural acts | LOPJ Art. 241 |
| cuestión prejudicial | preliminary reference | To CJEU |

## Administrative Procedure (LPACAP / LJCA)

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ley 39/2015 del Procedimiento Administrativo Común (LPACAP) | Common Administrative Procedure Act | |
| Ley 40/2015 de Régimen Jurídico del Sector Público (LRJSP) | Public Sector Legal Regime Act | |
| administración pública | public administration | |
| procedimiento administrativo | administrative procedure | |
| acto administrativo | administrative act | |
| resolución administrativa | administrative decision | |
| notificación | notification / service | |
| silencio administrativo | administrative silence | Positive or negative depending on statute |
| trámite de audiencia | hearing step / right to be heard | |
| información pública | public consultation | |
| recurso administrativo | administrative appeal | |
| recurso de alzada | hierarchical appeal | Within 1 month; to hierarchical superior |
| recurso potestativo de reposición | optional reposición | To same body |
| recurso extraordinario de revisión | extraordinary revision | |
| vía administrativa previa | prior administrative route | Exhaustion requirement |
| Ley 29/1998 Jurisdicción Contencioso-Administrativa (LJCA) | Judicial Review Act | |
| recurso contencioso-administrativo | contentious-administrative appeal / judicial review action | |
| objeto del recurso | subject matter of the appeal | |
| desviación de poder | misuse of power / détournement de pouvoir | |
| pretensiones de anulación / de plena jurisdicción | annulment / full-jurisdiction claims | |
| declaración de lesividad | declaration of prejudicial act | For public body to revoke favourable acts |
| recurso de lesividad | lesividad appeal | |
| responsabilidad patrimonial de la Administración | State tortious liability | Ley 40/2015 Arts. 32+ |
| contratos del sector público | public-sector contracts | Ley 9/2017 LCSP |
| recurso especial en materia de contratación | special appeal in public procurement | Before TACRC/TARC |
| Tribunal Administrativo Central de Recursos Contractuales (TACRC) | Central Administrative Tribunal for Contractual Appeals | |

## Criminal Procedure (Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal — LECrim)

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| proceso penal | criminal procedure | |
| Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal (LECrim) | Criminal Procedure Act | 1882, much amended |
| denuncia | criminal complaint (any person) | |
| querella | criminal complaint (formal, by victim) | |
| instrucción / sumario | criminal investigation | Led by Juzgado de Instrucción |
| investigado | person under investigation | Post-2015 terminology |
| imputado | accused | Pre-2015 terminology — now "investigado" |
| encausado | formally charged person | Post-indictment |
| procesado | indicted person | In sumario regime |
| acusado | defendant (at trial) | |
| acusación | prosecution | |
| acusación particular | private prosecution | Victim-led |
| acusación popular | popular prosecution | By any citizen — unique Spanish feature |
| responsabilidad civil derivada del delito | civil liability arising from crime | Within criminal case |
| procedimiento abreviado | abbreviated procedure | Offences up to 9 years |
| procedimiento ordinario (sumario) | ordinary procedure | Most serious offences |
| procedimiento ante el Tribunal del Jurado | jury procedure | Specified offences; Ley 5/1995 |
| juicios rápidos | speedy trials | LECrim Art. 795+ |
| diligencias urgentes | urgent diligences | Preliminary investigation by police |
| medidas cautelares personales | personal precautionary measures | |
| prisión provisional | pre-trial detention | |
| libertad provisional | provisional release | |
| fianza | bail / security | |
| escrito de acusación | indictment | |
| escrito de defensa | defence brief | |
| juicio oral | oral trial | |
| sentencia condenatoria | judgment of conviction | |
| sentencia absolutoria | acquittal | |
| pena | sentence / penalty | |
| pena privativa de libertad | custodial sentence | |
| pena de multa | fine | |
| suspensión de la ejecución | suspension of execution | |
| sustitución de la pena | substitution of sentence | |
| libertad condicional | conditional release / parole | |
| conformidad | plea agreement / guilty plea | LECrim Arts. 655, 787 |
| sobreseimiento libre / provisional | definitive / provisional dismissal | |
| principio de oportunidad | prosecutorial discretion | Limited in Spain |
| delito / falta | crime / misdemeanour | "Faltas" abolished in 2015; now "delitos leves" (minor offences) |
| delito leve | minor offence | Post-2015 replacement for faltas |
| delito menos grave / grave | less serious / serious crime | |

## Constitutional Review

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tribunal Constitucional | Constitutional Court | |
| recurso de amparo | amparo appeal | Fundamental rights; post-exhaustion of ordinary remedies |
| recurso de inconstitucionalidad | constitutionality appeal | Abstract review |
| cuestión de inconstitucionalidad | constitutionality question | Preliminary reference from judge |
| conflicto de competencias | competence conflict | Between State/Autonomous Communities |
| especial trascendencia constitucional | special constitutional significance | Admissibility threshold for amparo |
| LOTC — Ley Orgánica del Tribunal Constitucional | Organic Act on Constitutional Court | LO 2/1979 |

## Settlement (Transacción / Acuerdo)

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| transacción | settlement / compromise | Civil Code Art. 1809 — contract with mutual concessions |
| transacción extrajudicial | out-of-court settlement | |
| allanamiento | submission to claim | Defendant accepting claim |
| desistimiento | withdrawal | Claim/instance |
| renuncia a la acción | abandonment of action | |
| finiquito | release / discharge | |
| carta de pago | letter of payment / discharge | |
| finiquito por saldo y cuenta | full and final settlement | |
| concesiones recíprocas | mutual concessions | Essential for transacción under Art. 1809 |
| pacto de no pedir / pactum de non petendo | pactum de non petendo | Covenant not to sue |
| cláusula penal | penalty clause | Civil Code Arts. 1152–1155 |
| indemnización | indemnity / damages | |
| daños y perjuicios | damages (all losses) | |
| daño emergente / lucro cesante | actual loss / lost profits | |
| daños morales | moral / non-pecuniary damages | |
| confidencialidad | confidentiality | |
| no denigración | non-disparagement | |

## Alternative Dispute Resolution

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| medios adecuados de solución de controversias (MASC) | appropriate dispute resolution | New 2025 terminology — mandatory pre-litigation attempt |
| Ley 5/2012 de mediación en asuntos civiles y mercantiles | Mediation Act | |
| mediador | mediator | |
| conciliación | conciliation | |
| acta de mediación | mediation minutes / record | |
| acuerdo de mediación | mediation agreement | Enforceable if elevated to escritura pública |
| elevación a escritura pública | elevation to public deed | Converts mediated agreement to executory title |
| conciliación preprocesal | pre-procedural conciliation | |
| arbitraje de consumo | consumer arbitration | Juntas Arbitrales de Consumo |

## Arbitration (Ley 60/2003 de Arbitraje)

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ley de Arbitraje (Ley 60/2003) | Arbitration Act | UNCITRAL Model Law-based; amended 2011 |
| convenio arbitral | arbitration agreement | |
| cláusula arbitral | arbitration clause | |
| compromiso arbitral | submission agreement | Now subsumed in "convenio arbitral" since 2003 Act |
| arbitraje de derecho / de equidad | arbitration at law / in equity | Default since 2003 Act: arbitration at law unless agreed otherwise |
| tribunal arbitral | arbitral tribunal | |
| árbitro | arbitrator | |
| árbitro único | sole arbitrator | |
| presidente del tribunal arbitral | presiding arbitrator | |
| designación / nombramiento | appointment | |
| recusación | challenge (of arbitrator) | |
| laudo | award | |
| laudo final | final award | |
| laudo parcial | partial award | |
| laudo por acuerdo de las partes / laudo conciliatorio | consent award | |
| medidas cautelares arbitrales | arbitral interim measures | 2011 reform — enforceable via courts |
| sede del arbitraje | seat of arbitration | |
| lugar / idioma | place / language | |
| acción de anulación del laudo | action to set aside the award | Ley 60/2003 Art. 41 — limited grounds |
| exequátur | exequatur / recognition and enforcement | |
| arbitraje institucional | institutional arbitration | |
| arbitraje ad hoc | ad hoc arbitration | |
| Corte de Arbitraje de Madrid (CAM) | Madrid Court of Arbitration | Major institution |
| Corte Civil y Mercantil de Arbitraje (CIMA) | Civil and Commercial Court of Arbitration | Madrid-based |
| Corte Española de Arbitraje | Spanish Court of Arbitration | At Cámara de España |
| CIAM (Centro Internacional de Arbitraje de Madrid) | Madrid International Arbitration Center | Since 2020 — merged institutions |
| Tribunal Arbitral de Barcelona (TAB) | Barcelona Arbitration Tribunal | |
| Convenio de Nueva York | New York Convention | 1958 |
| CIADI / arbitraje de inversiones | ICSID / investment arbitration | |

## Limitation and Timing

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| prescripción | prescription / limitation | Civil Code Arts. 1961+ |
| plazo de prescripción | limitation period | General contract: 5 years since 2015 reform (formerly 15) |
| interrupción de la prescripción | interruption of prescription | Art. 1973 CC |
| suspensión de la prescripción | suspension of prescription | |
| caducidad | lapse / forfeiture | Generally non-tollable |
| prescripción adquisitiva / usucapión | acquisitive prescription / usucaption | |
| plazo preclusivo | preclusive deadline | Procedural |
| dies a quo / dies ad quem | dies a quo / dies ad quem | Start / end of period |

## Formal and Boilerplate

| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| sumisión expresa / tácita | express / tacit submission | To jurisdiction |
| fuero | jurisdiction / venue | |
| ley aplicable | governing law | |
| idioma | language | |
| cláusula de integración | entire agreement clause | |
| cláusula de separabilidad | severability clause | |
| no renuncia / no waiver | non-waiver | |
| notificaciones | notices | |
| cesión | assignment | |
| fuerza mayor | force majeure | |
| caso fortuito | fortuitous event | |

## Notes for Translators

- **Court system**: Spain has a unified ordinary judicial system (Constitución Art. 117) with five jurisdictional orders: civil, criminal, contentious-administrative, social, and military. All culminate at the Tribunal Supremo (which has corresponding Salas). The Tribunal Constitucional is a separate body. Never conflate. Translate "Tribunal Supremo" always as "Supreme Court" and "Tribunal Constitucional" as "Constitutional Court".
- **Juzgado vs Tribunal**: "Juzgado" is a single-judge court; "Tribunal" is collegiate. Translate as "Court" in both cases but note in context. "Magistrado" = judge in collegiate court; ordinary "juez" = judge in single-judge court. The distinction matters for Spanish career progression references.
- **LEC 2000 (Ley 1/2000)**: Current Civil Procedure Act. Replaced the 1881 LEC. Introduced juicio ordinario/verbal distinction, preliminary hearing, professional reform. Major 2011 amendments (Ley 37/2011) introduced further digitisation and efficiency.
- **Procedimiento monitorio**: Fast-track order-for-payment, now available for any amount (since 2011 reform removed cap). If debtor does not oppose within 20 days, order becomes enforceable title. Very commonly used. Translate as "order-for-payment procedure" or preserve "monitorio" with gloss.
- **Audiencia previa**: Case-management hearing early in juicio ordinario — clears procedural issues, delineates factual disputes, admits evidence. Translate as "preliminary hearing" and flag its case-management role.
- **LAJ (Letrado de la Administración de Justicia)**: Formerly Secretario Judicial — senior judicial officer with extensive procedural powers (handles admissions, executions, costs). Issues "decretos" (separate from judge's resolutions). Translate as "Court Clerk" (and flag) or preserve "LAJ" with gloss; for some functions "Judicial Officer" may be more accurate.
- **Recurso de casación (civil)**: Post-2015 reform — available against AP judgments in matters of "interés casacional" (notable or conflicting case law, new laws, etc.). Both TS and TSJs (in certain civil matters under foral law) can hear casación. Flag the "interés casacional" admission requirement.
- **Recurso extraordinario por infracción procesal**: Separate extraordinary appeal for procedural violations, to TSJ (Civil) or TS in limited cases. Post-2015 reform restricted availability.
- **Procurador**: Mandatory representative (separate from abogado) who handles all court filings and communications. Unique Spanish institution. Translate as "court agent" or preserve "procurador" with gloss; do NOT translate as "solicitor" (misleading in English).
- **Ministerio Fiscal / Fiscal**: Constitutionally autonomous prosecuting body (Art. 124 CE). Independent of government but hierarchically led by Fiscal General del Estado. Translate "Ministerio Fiscal" as "Public Prosecution Service"; "fiscal" as "prosecutor"; "Fiscal General del Estado" as "Attorney General" or "Prosecutor General" (flag).
- **LECrim (1882)**: Criminal Procedure Act dates from 1882 but has been amended dozens of times. Reform discussions ongoing (2020+ draft codes). When translating, flag if relying on pre- or post-reform state of specific provisions.
- **Imputado → investigado (2015 reform)**: Since LO 13/2015, "imputado" replaced with "investigado" to avoid stigma. Translate investigado as "person under investigation", encausado as "formally charged person", procesado as "indicted" (older sumario regime), acusado as "defendant" (at trial). Precision matters.
- **Acusación popular**: Uniquely Spanish — any Spanish citizen may join criminal prosecution (Art. 125 CE, LECrim 101). Has been used in high-profile political cases. No common-law equivalent. Translate as "popular prosecution" and explain.
- **Acusación particular**: Victim or directly injured party acting as prosecutor alongside MF. Distinct from acusación popular. Translate carefully.
- **Conformidad**: Spanish plea bargain — defendant accepts charges/sentence proposed by prosecution, limited to cases with proposed penalty ≤ 6 years. LECrim 787 (abbreviated), 655 (ordinary), 801 (juicios rápidos). Narrower than US plea bargaining. Translate as "plea agreement" or "conformidad" with gloss.
- **Falta → delito leve (2015 reform)**: LO 1/2015 abolished "falta" category, replacing with "delito leve" (minor offence). Older documents will refer to "faltas" — flag as superseded.
- **LPACAP (Ley 39/2015) / LRJSP (Ley 40/2015)**: Major 2015 reform replaced the long-standing LRJ-PAC 30/1992. LPACAP governs administrative procedure (externally); LRJSP governs public-sector internal regime. Translate separately and reference together. Flag pre-2015 references to Ley 30/1992.
- **Silencio administrativo**: Administrative silence — default positive (unless statute provides otherwise) for most authorisations; negative for certain procedures. Critical for deadline/action analysis. Flag in every administrative translation.
- **Recurso de alzada vs reposición**: Alzada is hierarchical appeal (mandatory in some cases before court challenge); reposición is optional before same authority. Choose correct translation; explain both in translator's note when both possible.
- **LJCA (Ley 29/1998)**: Judicial review of administration. "Recurso contencioso-administrativo" is the court action against administrative acts/regulations. Translate consistently as "contentious-administrative appeal" or "judicial review action"; preserve LJCA acronym.
- **Desviación de poder**: Classic administrative-law ground for annulment — administrative power used for purpose other than that for which it was conferred. Civil-law concept; translate as "misuse of power" or preserve "détournement de pouvoir" as it is recognised in French as well.
- **Declaración de lesividad / recurso de lesividad**: Mechanism for administration to revoke its own favourable acts by declaring them "prejudicial to public interest" and then seeking annulment in court. Unique procedure. Translate literally and explain.
- **Responsabilidad patrimonial de la Administración**: State tortious liability — direct, objective, comprehensive (all administrations and all fields). Flag.
- **Transacción (Código Civil Art. 1809)**: Contract where parties "giving, promising or retaining something, avoid provoking a lawsuit or put an end to one they had commenced". Requires mutual concessions (concesiones recíprocas). Without them, no transacción. Judicial transacción has res judicata effects (Art. 1816 CC). Flag reciprocal-concessions requirement.
- **Allanamiento vs desistimiento vs renuncia**: Three distinct concepts. Allanamiento = defendant accepts claim (ends litigation with judgment on the merits against them). Desistimiento = claimant withdraws from the instance (does not preclude refiling). Renuncia a la acción = claimant gives up the claim itself (precludes refiling). Translate precisely; errors change legal consequences.
- **Ley 60/2003 (Arbitration Act)**: UNCITRAL Model Law-based. Amended by Ley 11/2011 (enabling arbitral tribunal to order interim measures, reforming appointments). Default: arbitration at law (arbitraje de derecho); equity arbitration (arbitraje de equidad) only by express agreement. Flag when translating clauses.
- **Acción de anulación del laudo (Art. 41 LA)**: Only mechanism to challenge award — limited grounds mirroring New York Convention / Model Law. Heard by TSJ of seat (civil/commercial chamber). Translate as "action to set aside the award"; preserve Model Law equivalence in explanation.
- **Corte Española de Arbitraje, CIMA, CAM, TAB, CIAM**: Main Spanish arbitral institutions. CIAM (since 2020) consolidates CAM, CEA and CIMA for international cases. Reference by full name on first use with abbreviation.
- **Arbitraje de consumo**: Consumer arbitration through Juntas Arbitrales de Consumo — free, simplified. Distinct from commercial arbitration under Ley 60/2003. Translate "consumer arbitration" and flag distinctive regime (Ley 1/1996 originally, now RD 231/2008).
- **Ley 5/2012 (Mediation Act)**: Governs civil/commercial mediation, implementing EU Mediation Directive. Agreement raised to escritura pública acquires executory title status. Translate "elevación a escritura pública" as "elevation to notarial deed" and explain executory effect.
- **MASC — Medios Adecuados de Solución de Controversias (2025 reform)**: Ley Orgánica 1/2025 introduced mandatory pre-litigation attempt at ADR (MASC) for many civil/commercial claims — failure may affect costs. Major procedural reform; flag for all post-April 2025 documents.
- **Concurso de acreedores / TRLC (RDL 1/2020)**: Current insolvency regime — Texto Refundido de la Ley Concursal (consolidated text). Former Ley Concursal 22/2003 superseded. Major 2022 reform (Ley 16/2022) modernised and transposed EU Restructuring Directive 2019/1023. Preserve "TRLC" with explanation; flag amendment date.
- **Latin American Spanish variants**: Significant variations. Mexico: Código Nacional de Procedimientos Civiles y Familiares (2023) replacing state codes. Argentina: CPCCN (federal) and provincial codes. Colombia: Código General del Proceso (Ley 1564/2012). Chile: new procedural code in progress. Always confirm country when translating; arbitration: Mexico under Código de Comercio Title IV; Argentina under Ley 27.449/2018 (international) and provincial codes (domestic); Colombia under Ley 1563/2012 (Estatuto de Arbitraje Nacional e Internacional). Flag translator's note.
- **Cosa juzgada**: Formal (no more appeals) vs material (claim-preclusion / issue-preclusion). Translate consistently as "res judicata"; flag distinction when relevant.
- **Exequátur**: Recognition-and-enforcement procedure for foreign judgments (Ley 29/2015 cooperation law and Brussels I bis for EU) and foreign arbitral awards (New York Convention routes). Translate as "exequatur" or "recognition and enforcement procedure"; preserve term.
- **Prescripción — 5-year contract rule**: Since Ley 42/2015 (amending Art. 1964 CC), general personal-action prescription period is 5 years (formerly 15). Applies to obligations arising after 7 October 2015. Critical to check applicable limitation for older debts.
- **Juicio Rápido / Juicios Rápidos**: Fast-track criminal procedure for specified offences (drug trafficking, domestic violence, etc.), with compressed time limits. Distinct from abbreviated procedure. Translate as "speedy trial procedure".
- **Tribunal del Jurado**: Limited jury trial for specified offences (Art. 83 LO 5/1995) — includes homicide, threats, bribery, omission of duty to prevent crimes, etc. Nine lay jurors decide guilt. Translate as "jury trial"; preserve distinction from civil-law bench trial (norm).
- **Fiscal especial anticorrupción / antidroga**: Special prosecutor offices (Fiscalía Especial contra la Corrupción y la Criminalidad Organizada, Fiscalía Antidroga). Translate as "Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor" etc. with gloss.
- **Audiencia Nacional**: Unique Spanish court with nationwide jurisdiction over terrorism, serious economic crime, drug trafficking, and specific administrative matters. Translate as "National High Court"; flag unique role.

## Additional Lawlinguists-validated Spanish Litigation / Settlement Mappings

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil (LEC) — Ley 1/2000 | Spanish Civil Procedure Act |
| procedimiento ordinario | ordinary proceedings |
| demanda | statement of claim / complaint |
| excepción procesal | procedural exception / plea in abatement |
| juicio / vista | trial / hearing |
| prueba | evidence |
| prueba testifical | witness testimony |
| dictamen pericial | expert report |
| interrogatorio | examination (of a party) |
| careo | face-to-face confrontation (of witnesses) |
| diligencias finales | final measures / further evidence-gathering orders |
| sentencia firme | final judgment (no further appeal available) |
| sentencia definitiva | definitive judgment (ends the proceedings at that instance) |
| ejecución forzosa | enforcement / execution of judgment |
| embargo | attachment / seizure (of assets) |
| embargo ejecutivo | post-judgment attachment (for enforcement) |
| medidas cautelarísimas | urgent ex parte interim measures |
| orden de protección | protection order |
| Tribunal Supremo | Supreme Court |
| Audiencia Nacional | National Court (specialised — organised crime, major commercial, sovereign) |
| jurisdicción contencioso-administrativa | administrative jurisdiction |
| jurisdicción social | labour jurisdiction |
| jurisdicción mercantil (Juzgados de lo Mercantil) | commercial jurisdiction |
| jurisdicción voluntaria | non-contentious jurisdiction |
| arbitraje | arbitration (Ley 60/2003 de Arbitraje) |
| Corte de Arbitraje / CAM / CIAM | Arbitration Court (e.g., Madrid Arbitration Court, Spanish Arbitration Club) |
| laudo arbitral | arbitral award |
| anulación del laudo | setting aside of award |
| ejecución del laudo | enforcement of award |
| mediación | mediation (Ley 5/2012) |
| Mecanismo Alternativo de Solución de Controversias (MASC) | Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) |
| transacción judicial | court-approved settlement (homologada judicialmente) |
| avenencia | agreed settlement |
| caducidad de la instancia | lapse of proceedings (for inactivity) |
