tribunal de primera instancia
/tɾibunal de pɾimeɾa instanθja/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for trial court is tribunal de primera instancia.
The term refers to the first court to hear a legal case and determine the facts of the matter. In some Latin American countries, the term Juzgado penal may be used to refer to specific types of trial courts.
Which one should you use?
A tribunal de primera instancia is the trial court, whereas a tribunal de apelación is the higher court that reviews the decisions made by that trial court.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term Juzgado de primera instancia is a formal term used in various Spanish-speaking countries, and Juzgado penal may be used in some Latin American countries for specific trial courts.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾibunal de pɾimeɾa instanθja/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking legal systems, a tribunal is not just a building but can refer specifically to a panel of several judges acting together, whereas a juzgado usually implies a single judge.
- The term tribunal shares its roots with the English word 'tribute', as both stem from the Latin 'tribus', meaning 'tribe'.
- The word instancia in this context is a cognate of the English 'instance', but it carries a more formal legal weight in Spanish, referring to the stage or level of a legal process.
Examples in context
- El caso aún no ha sido evaluado por el Tribunal de primera instancia.The case has not yet been reviewed by the trial court.
- El caso fue presentado ante el tribunal de primera instancia.The case was presented before the trial court.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are discussing a legal matter at a cafe.
- Sofía¿Ya recibiste la notificación del tribunal de primera instancia?Did you already receive the notification from the trial court?
- JavierSí, Sofía, me la entregaron esta mañana.Yes, Sofía, they delivered it to me this morning.
- SofíaEntonces, el proceso legal ha comenzado oficialmente.Then, the legal process has officially begun.
- JavierEspero que todo salga bien para nosotros.I hope everything goes well for us.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, instancia, primera, tribunal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
