LEGAL ENGLISH

XII SEMINARIO DE ESTUDIO COMPARADO DE SISTEMAS

JUDICIALES Y DE COOPERACIÓN JUDICIAL
INTERNACIONAL A TRAVÉS DEL LENGUAJE JURÍDICO ÁGUILAS 2010
 CONTENTS

• General features of legal English.

• Attitudes towards legal English.
• The syntax of legal English.
• The vocabulary of legal English.
• Legal genres in English.

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 1. General features of legal English
Features in common with legal Spanish:
1. Types of vocabulary.
2. Sentence length and complexity.
3. Old-fashioned expressions and fixed formulae
(e.g. latin expressions).
4. (Some) couplets.
5. Specific collocations.
6. Existence of pre-determined text formats
(macrostructures).
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 1. General features of legal English

General difference with legal Spanish:

Legal Spanish is far more conservative,

formal, cryptic and rigid, with a clear
opposition to “plain legal language”.

Curiosity: some legal texts in English easier to

understand than their Spanish counterparts for native
speakers of Spanish.

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 1. General features of legal English
Legal Spanish far less transparent than legal English (I):

EU legislation: actos jurídicos comunitarios.

Prohibition: auto inhibitorio.
Housebreaking: allanamiento de morada.
Damage to rights: vulneración de derechos.
Right of action: legitimación de la demanda.
Reactive: de intervención rogada.
Commencement: incoación.
Failure to appear: declararse en rebeldía.
Abandonment of action: desistimiento.
To create (an offence): tipificar.
Examining judge: juez instructor.

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 1. General features of legal English
Legal Spanish far less transparent than legal English (II):

To be taken before a magistrate: pasar a disposición judicial.

To be a party to a case: personarse en un juicio.
Courts: órganos jurisdiccionales.
Court officers / officials: personal jurisdiccional.
As a witness: como fedatario.
Employment tribunal: Juzgado de lo Social.
Surviving spouse: cónyuge supérstite.
Rule-making power: potestad reglamentaria.
Case law / judge-made law: jurisprudencia.
Suspect/accused: imputado.
Setting of a date for trial: señalamiento.
Estate of a deceased person: caudal hereditario.

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 1. General features of legal English

• Latinisms: nulla poena sine lege, res

judicata, bona fide, offence of absconding,
etc.

• Terms of French or Norman origin (1066

invasion): on parole, feme sole, etc.
¾Suffix –ge: damages, salvage, demurrage, etc.
¾Suffix –or/-er: debtor, mortgagor, promissor
¾Suffix –ee: debtee, mortgagee, promisseee
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 Examples of Latinisms
• It was said that the agents had acted ultra vires.
• He represented himself as a bona fide purchaser.
• There were allegations of negligence by the
expert acting qua expert.
• Some crimes require proof of both actus reus and
mens rea.
• The documents were submitted for in camera
inspection by the court.

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 1. General features of legal English
• Formal register and archaic forms:
¾ “This indenture (…) witnesseth that …”; “Whereas the
party of the first part witnesseth…”

¾ Compound adverbs: wherefore (+/- = accordingly),

hereinafter ( ___ referred to as…), thereby, thereunder
(Article 6 thereunder), whereby, thereunto, etc.

¾ Pursuant to, without prejudice to, in accordance with,

notwithstanding, having regard to, in witness whereof,
etc.

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 1. General features of legal English
• BUT we also have formal register and archaic forms in Spanish:
• Se constituyó el funcionario del Servicio en su domicilio, y no hallándole en él se le
dejará el presente aviso... [...] Si no concurre a este llamamiento, le parará el perjuicio
a que hubiere lugar en derecho e incurrirá en periódicas multas, según ley.

• Según certificado que obra incorporado al expediente.

• Vengo en decretar que…

• Cúmpleme comunicarle que…

• Habida cuenta de todas las circunstancias…

• Para los efectos civiles, sólo se reputará nacido el feto que tuviere figura humana y
viviere veinticuatro horas enteramente desprendido del seno materno.

• Por el presente anuncio se hace saber, para conocimiento de las personas a cuyo
favor hubieren derivado o derivaren derechos del acto administrativo impugnado y
de quienes tuvieren interés directo en el mantenimiento del mismo, que (…)

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 1. General features of legal English
• Redundancy: ‘doublets’, ‘triplets’:
[near-synonyms: anglosaxon + greco-latin]

false and untrue sole and exclusive

alter and change mind and memory
null and void last will and testament

give, devise and bequeath

rest, residue and remainder
order, adjudge and decree
nominate, constitute and appoint
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 1. General features of legal English
• Frequency of performative verbs.
[The state of affairs expresed by the words comes into being.
They commit the speaker to carrying out the actions
expressed by the words]
¾ I pronounce you husband and wife.
¾ I declare this marriage dissolved.
¾ Both parties to the contract hereby agree to the following
conditions …
¾ I hereby solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth.
¾ The Court of Appeal so held when dismissing an appeal by the
defendant ...
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 1. General features of legal English
• Euphemisms:
¾ Detention during Her Majesty’s pleasure: for an indefinite period
(e.g. adults found ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’).

¾ Act of God: unforeseen natural disaster or calamity attributable to

the forces of nature.

¾ Standing mute by visitation of God: the jury must decide whether

the accused is not ‘mute of malice’ but through some physical or
mental impairment of his/her faculties.
¾ A litigation friend (next friend): disability, underage (minors) or
overage.
¾ Shoplifting.
¾ A McKenzie friend: sby to help you in court (layman).
¾ Co-respondent: adulterer in a petition for divorce.
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 1. General features of legal English

• Abundant use of the passive voice:

“No person has been authorized to give any
information or make any representation other
than those contained or incorporated by
reference in this joint proxy
statement/prospectus and, if given or made,
such information or representation must not be
relied upon as having been authorized.”

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 1. General features of legal English

• As with all specialised languages,

there is lack of synonymy:
¾ court NOT the same as tribunal;
¾ judgment NOT the same as sentence;
¾ send NOT the same as commit (as in
send for trial / commit for trial), etc.

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 1. General features of legal English
• Legalese.
A bureaucrat testifying before a Senate
Committee:

“It is a tricky problem to find the particular

calibration in timing that would be appropriate to
stem the acceleration in risk premiums created
by falling incomes without prematurely aborting
the decline in the inflation-generated premiums.”

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 2. Attitudes towards legal English
• Legalese / “charabia juridique” / Eurospeak / Eurojargon.
• Defenders of legal language:
• Guarantee
• Dynamism
• Parallel language

• Defenders of ordinary (plain) language:

• Obscurity
• Accessibility

• Plain English Campaign / Plain English Movement

(www.plainenglish.co.uk) / Fight the FOG. Legal-Ease
(legalese): http://www.legalenglish.com/dictionary.html.
• Simply Stated.
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 2. Attitudes towards legal English
• Recent changes in Great Britain:
affidavit ----------------- statement of truth
writ of summons ----- claim form
plaintiff ------------------ claimant
discovery --------------- disclosure

• However, most forms and many terms still in use

outside England and Wales (e.g. terms in AmE,
such as ‘felony’ (serious crime), ‘misdemeanours’
(minor offences), etc.).
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 3. The syntax of legal English
• Complicated syntax & unusually long
sentences:

“The Chief Land Registrar shall, where the dwelling-

house with respect to which the right to buy is a
registered land, supply him, if so requested by the
Secretary of State, with an office copy of any
document required by the State Secretary on
payment of the appropriate fee.”

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 3. The syntax of legal English
• Very complicated syntax with subordination (Education
Act 2005):
(2) For the purposes of the exercise of any function conferred by or under
section 2, the Chief Inspector has at all reasonable times—
(a) a right of entry to any premises (other than school premises) on which,
by virtue of arrangements made by a school in England, any pupils who—
(i) are registered at the school, and
(ii) have attained the age of 15, or will attain that age in the current school
year, but have not ceased to be of compulsory school age, are provided
with part of their education by any person (“the provider”),
(b) a right of entry to any premises of the provider used in connection with
the provision by him of that education, and
(c) a right to inspect and take copies of—
(i) any records kept by the provider relating to the provision of that
education, and
(ii) any other documents containing information so relating,
which the Chief Inspector requires for those purposes.
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 3. The syntax of legal English
• BUT we also have a very complicated syntax in Spanish
Î strange as it may seem, we are in a better position
than the average native speaker of English:

EXAMPLE 1 (not too bad)

Artículo 5.
1. La renta familiar a efectos de beca se obtendrá por agregación de
las rentas del ejercicio 2004 de cada uno de los miembros
computables de la familia que obtengan ingresos de cualquier
naturaleza calculadas según se indica en los párrafos siguientes y
de conformidad con la normativa reguladora del Impuesto sobre la
Renta de las Personas Físicas y otras Normas Tributarias en la
redacción dada por la Ley 46/2002. En todo caso, se excluirán los
saldos negativos de ganancias y pérdidas patrimoniales
correspondientes a ejercicios anteriores.

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 3. The syntax of legal English
EXAMPLE 2 (!!!!!!)
A los efectos previstos en el artículo 59.4 de la Ley 30/92, de Régimen Jurídico de las
Administraciones Públicas del Procedimiento Administrativo Común, se notifica a Gráficas
Badajoz, S.L., con último domicilio conocido en Araucaria, 6, de Badajoz, la Resolución de
esta Dirección Provincial de fecha 16 de diciembre de 2002, por la que resuelve declarar
sin efecto el aplazamiento (06/05/133/01-E), que le fue concedido y, en consecuencia, de
conformidad con lo previsto en el artículo 43 del Real Decreto 1.637/1995, de 6-10-95, por
el que se aprueba el Reglamento General de Recaudación de los Recursos del Sistema
de la Seguridad Social (B.O.E. del 24), y en el artículo 27.2 de su Orden de desarrollo, de
26- 5-99 (B.O.E. del 4-6-99), proceder a la reclamación de la deuda aplazada y no pagada,
así como a los intereses devengados y recargos en que se hubiere incurrido o, en su caso,
a proseguir el procedimiento recaudatorio en la fase en que por la concesión del
aplazamiento se hubiere suspendido.

ENGLISH IS A SYNTHETIC LANGUAGE, SPANISH IS A PARENTHETIC LANGUAGE

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 3. The syntax of legal English
ENGLISH IS A SYNTHETIC LANGUAGE, SPANISH IS
A PARENTHETIC LANGUAGE:

Fatal accidents: accidentes con resultado de muerte.

Motoring offences: infracciones del Código de Circulación.
Insanity: tener perturbadas las facultades mentales.
Attachment lien: derecho de prioridad del acreedor
embargante.
Legal address: domicilio a efectos legales.
Originating summons: citación para la incoación de un
proceso.

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 3. The syntax of legal English
• Abundant conjunctions:

¾ He said that the time had come for him to guarantee

the future of himself and his family if, as and when he
decided to withdraw from public life.

¾ When and so long as such parties were in the throes

of negotiating larger terms …

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 3. The syntax of legal English

• Careful with “double prepositions”. In

Spanish prepositions cannot be left by
themselves.

¾La crisis se deriva de y está motivada por la

inflación.

¾El derecho común inglés procede de y está

relacionado con la costumbre.

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Higher frequency of vocabulary with Greco-
Latin roots than in general English (typical of
specialised texts),

BUT AT THE SAME TIME…

• a lot of vocabulary with anglosaxon roots

(typical of everyday discourse or colloquial
texts) in legal texts of a more economic nature.

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Vocabulary with Greco-Latin roots in English: very
formal (compare tabloid vocabulary with broad sheet
newspapers). PHRASAL VERBS (see next page)
• Everyday vocabulary in English: anglosaxon root.
Examples: teenager / adolescent
speed / velocity
yearly / annually
near / adjacent
spare / superfluous
blame / culpability
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 4.
• The vocabulary of legal English
Examples: put off / postpone
look into / investigate
look up to / admire
turn down / decline (or reject)
look down on / despise
run over / examine
go back / return
get away / escape
break out / appear, commence
make out / distinguish, recognize
make up for / compensate
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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
Example of text with Greco-Latin root vocabulary:
The limitations period in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty
Act of 1996 (AEDPA) requires a person in custody pursuant to the
judgment of a State court to file an application for a writ of habeas
corpus within one year of the date on which the judgment became final
(8 U. S. C. §2244(d)(1)(A). This case raises the question whether a
Texas order of deferred adjudication probation is a judgment under the
statute. In essence, a deferred adjudication probation order places a
defendant on probation while postponing any adjudication of guilt. See
Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann., Art. 42.12, §5 (Vernon 2006 Supp.
Pamphlet). If the defendant successfully completes the terms of his
probation, the charges against him are dismissed, §5(c); if he violates
those terms, he is found guilty and sentenced.
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 3. The syntax of legal English
Example of text with Anglo-Saxon root vocabulary:

(2) Where the assignment is by the tenant under the tenancy, then
as from the assignment the assignee—
(a) becomes bound by the tenant covenants of the tenancy except to
the extent that—
(i) immediately before the assignment they did not bind the
assignor, or
(ii) they fail to be complied with in relation to any demised premises
not comprised in the assignment; and
(b) becomes entitled to the benefit of the landlord covenants of the
tenancy except to the extent that they fall to be complied with in relation
to any such premises.

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Technical vocabulary:
- tort, remand, abscond, impugn, mortgage,
demurrage, negligent, commital, demurrage,
executrix, warrant, penalty, tenancy, premises,
lessee, jurisdiction, etc.

• Everyday vocabulary:
heading, office, rule, employer, wages, worker,
etc.
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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Semitechnical vocabulary (I)
Words and phrases from common stock that have
acquired additional meanings in legal contexts.
[alimentos, evacuar (un informe), instruir, interesar, levantar
(acta), significar (a alguien algo), reconvención]

- The testator died without issue (=offspring, children).

- The parties could not agree on the issue (=question)
- The issue of the passport was by the Lewes office (=giving out)
- Parties must wait for process to issue from the court (=be served)

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Semitechnical vocabulary:
¾ discharge1 (gral/merc descarga; descargar ◊ The cargo was discharged within 48 hours of the ship’s arrival at
the port; V. unload, empty).
¾ discharge2 (gral/penal disparar, descargar [un arma] ◊ He discharged his pistol; V. shoot, fire).
¾ discharge3 (civil/merc extinción o anulación de un contrato; anular, resolver o extinguir un contrato ◊ The
contract will be deemed to be discharged if any of these conditions are not satisfied; V. termination; terminate,
repudiate).
¾ discharge4 (proc anular; esta acepción es similar a la anterior, aunque el contexto en este caso es el procesal o
de los tribunales ◊ The freezing injunction was discharged on appeal; V. set aside, annul).
¾ discharge5 (laboral/merc/civil finiquito, cancelación, pago; satisfacer, pagar; suele ir acompañado de debt o
promise ◊ The defendant asked the court to strike out the debt on the ground that it had been discharged; V.
arrangement; pay, settle).
¾ discharge6 (gral despido; despedir ◊ He sometimes discharges his employees on the phone; V. dismiss,
dismissal).
¾ discharge7 (gral dar de baja en el ejército, etc. ◊ He was discharged from the army; V. dismiss, dismissal).
¾ discharge8 (gral dar de baja [de un hospital] ◊ He was discharged from the hospital; V. dismiss, dismissal).
¾ discharge9 (penal perdón o absolución al condenado por algún delito, exoneración, exención; absolver,
exonerar, dispensar, liberar, poner en libertad; en este caso es sinónimo parcial de exonerate, exculpate, acquit
y antónimo de charge “acusar”). Conditional discharge es un beneficio penitenciario.
¾ discharge10 (civil/merc rehabilitación, descargo; rehabilitación del fallido o quebrado; rehabilitar ◊ Bankruptcy is
terminated when the court makes an order of discharge in bankruptcy).
¾ discharge11 (admin/gral cumplimiento [de las funciones] ◊ It was done in the discharge of his duties in the
planning authority office; V. perform, performance).

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Semitechnical vocabulary in Spanish:
1. Acordar:
Gen.: Llegar a un acuerdo (convenir en algo): “se acordó reanudar las conversaciones”.
Legal: Determinar o resolver una sola persona: “he resuelto acordar la expulsión”.

2. Asistir:
Gen.: (1) Ir a (una reunión). (2) Ayudar (a alguien).
Legal: Tener derecho: “haciéndole saber el derecho que le asiste”

3. Extender:
Gen.: (1) Alargar (la mano). (2) Abrir (una sábana). (3) Rociar de algo (crema). (4)
Ampliar (un plazo).
Legal: dar forma escrita a un documento; redactar, otorgar: “poder notarial extendido
en...”.

4. Librar:
Gen.: (1) Quitar (responsabilidad: “te libré de una buena”). (2) Llevar a cabo (una batalla,
una pelea). (3) estar libre (“libro los martes”).
Legal: Expedir una certificación u otro documento administrativo: “y para que conste y
surta los efectos oportunos, libro la presente certificación…”

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 3. The syntax of legal English
• English is EXTREMELY tolerant of lexical
repetition (‘she sighed a little sigh’):
The SEC has reinforced the insider trading restrictions with
promulgation of Rule 14e-3 of the SEC, an independent
provision prohibiting insider trading in connection with tender
offers. Congress has further reinforced these trading restrictions
by providing the SEC with the power to seek a treble penalty
under the Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984 (ITSA). This
legislation empowers the SEC to base enforcement actions on
any recognized theory of insider trading restriction.

IN SPANISH LEXICAL REPETITION IS CONSIDERED A

VERY POOR STYLE Î AVOIDANCE OF REPETITION
AT ANY COST (=ambiguity, e.g. “su”)
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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Cognates / false friends(preservatives, constipation):
case
– The case was a particularly complex one (caso, asunto)

– There is no case to answer (la acusación carece de fundamento)

– The case for the defence (versión de los hechos, tesis)

– The case was heard in the High Court (causa, asunto)

– Present a strong case (argumentos sólidos o poderosos)

– Win/lose one’s case (juicio, pleito)

– The case dragged on for months (proceso)

– Case law (repertorio de] jurisprudencia)

– Appeal by way of case stated” (argumentos jurídicamente motivados).

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Cognates: process, proceedings,
procedure
(a) “an abuse of the process of the court”.
(b) “in due process of law”.
(c) “serve proceedings”.
(d) “bring proceedings against a party”.
(e) “stage of proceedings”.
(f) “stay proceedings”.
(g) “a record of proceedings”.
(h) “rules of procedure”
(i) “correct procedure.
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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
FREQUENT LEGAL FALSE FRIENDS
• Legislature: legislative power (Spanish “legislatura”=
term of office or life of Parliament).
• Magistrate: lay judge (Spanish “magistrado”= higher
rank judge).
• Sentence: punishment imposed after verdict (=
“condena, pena, castigo”). E.g. acquittal / conviction.
• Prorrogue: to put off, to postpone (NOT to extend as in
Spanish).
• Statutory: NOT compulsory BUT “legislado”.
• Affirmation: NOT “afirmación” BUT “promesa solemne”
(witnesses: on oath or by affirmation).
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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• POLYSEMY
¾ absolute (definitivo, categórico, final, firme, inapelable – absolute
acceptance: aceptación completa; absolute divorce: divorcio firme);
¾ qualified (preparado, profesional / condicional, limitado – qualified judge:
juez de carrera / qualified acceptance: aceptación limitada / qualified
date: fecha límite);
¾ constructive (constructivo; equivalente, inferido, sobreentendido –
constructive dismissal – no ha habido despido por pte. de la empresa,
pero como si lo hubiera habido);
¾ actual (antónimo del anterior) (real, efectivo, expreso – actual dismissal /
actual assets, etc).
¾ defence (defensa; contestación a la demanda; eximente)
¾ articles (período de prácticas –serve articles-; sección de una ley)
¾ consideration (take into consideration; prestación contractual)

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Anisomorphisms
• statutory: recogido en una ley o act
• legal (< law): opuesto a illegal
• lawful (<law): de pleno derecho; atiende más al fondo ético
de la ley, la costumbre o el Derecho
• “legal”: marco legal (statutory).
• “jurídico”: relacionado con el derecho en sentido amplio (el
inglés jurídico)
¾ Tricky translations: legal
• legal English
• the legal profession
• legal action
• legal advice
• the legal department
• the legal owner
• a legal nullity
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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
• Lexical collocations
¾ Act
As object of verbs:
• introduce an Act (promulgar una ley)[1]
• repeal an Act (derogar una ley)
• enforce an Act (hacer cumplir una ley, velar por su cumplimiento)
As subject of verbs:
• an Act provides (una ley dispone)
• an Act establishes (una ley determina)
• an Act abolishes (una ley deroga)
• an Act consolidates (una ley consolida o refunde)

¾ Appeal
As noun
• bring an appeal (interponer un recurso)
• lodge an appeal (interponer un recurso)
• allow an appeal (estimar un recurso)
• dismiss an appeal (desestimar un recurso)
As verb (AmE= “appeal” transitive, e.g. “appeal a decision, appeal a sentence”).
• appeal against a decision/judgment/sentence, etc (recurrir una resolución/un fallo/una sentencia/una
condena, etc)
• grant leave to appeal (admitir a trámite un recurso)
• refuse leave to appeal (inadmitir un recurso, no admitirlo a trámite)
Prepositional phrase
• on appeal (en la instancia de apelación, a raíz del [oportuno] recurso, tras la interposición de un recurso)

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 4. The vocabulary of legal English
¾ Judgment
• give judgment (fallar, resolver, dictar sentencia, pronunciar el fallo)
• judgment agsinst the plaintiff (fallo condenatorio)
• judgment for the defendant (fallo absolutorio)
• default judgment (fallo condenatorio por incomparecencia del demandado)
• deferred judgment (sentencia dictada tras un intervalo discrecional para
deliberación)
¾ Witness
Adjectival phrases:
• casual witness (testigo fortuito)
• key witness (testigo clave)
• character witness (testigo de solvencia moral)
• chief witness (testigo principal)
• compellable witness (testigo forzoso, persona legalmente obligada a prestar
declaración)
• Crown witness/witness for the prosecution (testigo de cargo)
• defence witness/witness for the defence (testigo de descargo)
• eyewitness (testigo ocular/presencial)
• witness statement (testimonio, declaración)
As verb:
• witness a will (firmar un testamento como testigo)

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 4. The vocabulary of judges
ser (can be) ...; tener fama de (have the reputation of) ...; pasar por
(pass for) ...; ser tenidos por (be taken as)...
abiertos (open-minded). insobornables (incorruptible).
accesibles (approachable / accessible). intachables (impeccable, irreproachable, unimpeachable).
arbitrarios (arbitrary). íntegros (upright).
buen juicio, de (sensible). intransigentes (intransigent).
cautos (careful, cautious). intratables (impossible).
comedidos (moderate). justicieros (avenging).
comprensivos (understanding). justos (just, fair, equitable)
corruptos (corrupt). liberales (open-minded, liberal).
cumplidores (reliable). mesurados,moderados (moderate, restrained).
depravados (depraved, morally corrupt). objetivos (objective).
déspotas (despotic). parciales (partial).
dignos (honourable). ponderados (balanced).
distantes (aloof, distant). precavidos (cautious).
ecuánime (even-tempered). prevaricadores (corrupt, deliberately biassed/biased).
equilibrados (well-balanced). probos (righteous).
equitativos (fair, equitable). prudentes (prudent).
frívolos (frivolous). razonables (reasonable, fair).
honestos, honrados (honest). rectos (upright).
imparciales (impartial). reservados (reserved).
implacables (implacable). rígidos (over-strict).
imprudentes (imprudent). rigurosos (strict).
incorruptibles (incorruptible). sensatos (sensible).
indignos (unworthy). severos (severe).
indiscretos (indiscreet). sobrios (sober, moderate).
injustos (unfair). tolerantes (tolerant).
insensatos (foolish, senseless). venales (venal).

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 4. The vocabulary of judges
The main function of judges is to ‘decide’:
administrar justicia (administer justice).
citar ante la justicia (summon before a court).
declarar ante la justicia (give evidence in court).
deponer ante la justicia (make a statement, give
evidence, testify).
falsear la justicia (pervert the course of justice).
hacer justicia (do justice).
hacer caer el peso de la justicia (bring the full weight of
the law to bear).
huir de la justicia (escape from justice, abscond).
Before a court, citizens may:
manipular la justicia (manipulate the law for one’s ends). apelar (appeal).
obrar/proceder en justicia (proceed in accordance with declarar (testify, give evidence).
the law, act in due form of law). deponer (depose).
pedir justicia (ask for/seek justice). manifestar (declare, state).
poner a disposición de la justicia (bring to justice, bring recurrir (appeal).
before a court). suplicar (petition).
recurrir a la justicia (have recourse to law, go to law).
ser de justicia (be fair/right)
sustraerse a la acción de la justicia (abscond, jump bail,
fail to surrender to custody).
tomarse la justicia por sus manos (take the law into one's
own hands).

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