Court vocabulary in Spanish, including essential legal terms for proceedings, roles, and courtroom objects.
This article introduces key court-related vocabulary in Spanish, covering terms for legal proceedings, roles, and courtroom objects. It’s designed to help you navigate and understand common judicial contexts.
Court Proceedings
Court proceedings encompass the formal steps in a legal case, from hearings to trials. This section covers essential terms that describe these stages.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| audiencia | audiencias | hearing | hearings | La audiencia será a las 10 a.m. | The hearing will be at 10 a.m. |
| juicio | juicios | trial | trials | El juicio comenzó ayer. | The trial started yesterday. |
| apelación | apelaciones | appeal | appeals | Presentaron una apelación. | They filed an appeal. |
| veredicto | veredictos | verdict | verdicts | El veredicto fue inocente. | The verdict was not guilty. |
| sentencia | sentencias | sentence | sentences | La sentencia es de cinco años. | The sentence is five years. |
| testimonio | testimonios | testimony | testimonies | Su testimonio fue clave. | His testimony was key. |
| declaración | declaraciones | statement | statements | Dio una declaración a la policía. | She gave a statement to the police. |
| citación | citaciones | subpoena | subpoenas | Recibió una citación judicial. | He received a court subpoena. |
| juicio oral | juicios orales | oral trial | oral trials | El juicio oral fue público. | The oral trial was public. |
| diligencia | diligencias | proceeding | proceedings | La diligencia se retrasó. | The proceeding was delayed. |
Presentaron una ___.
How do you say 'appeal' in Spanish?
apelación
'Apelación' means 'appeal'. 'Sentencia' is 'sentence', 'declaración' is 'statement', and 'citacion' (should be 'citación') means 'subpoena'.
El ___ comenzó ayer.
What is the Spanish word for 'trial'?
juicio
'Juicio' means 'trial'. 'Audiencia' means 'hearing', 'sentencia' means 'sentence', and 'testimonio' means 'testimony'.
Legal Roles
Legal roles are the people involved in the court system. This section introduces Spanish terms for judges, lawyers, and other courtroom participants.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| juez / jueza | jueces / juezas | judge | judges | La jueza tomó la decisión. | The judge made the decision. |
| abogado / abogada | abogados / abogadas | lawyer | lawyers | El abogado defendió al acusado. | The lawyer defended the defendant. |
| fiscal | fiscales | prosecutor | prosecutors | El fiscal presentó las pruebas. | The prosecutor presented the evidence. |
| acusado / acusada | acusados / acusadas | defendant | defendants | El acusado negó los cargos. | The defendant denied the charges. |
| testigo | testigos | witness | witnesses | El testigo respondió al juez. | The witness answered the judge. |
| secretario / secretaria | secretarios / secretarias | court clerk | court clerks | La secretaria tomó acta. | The court clerk took the minutes. |
| jurado | jurados | jury | juries | El jurado deliberó dos horas. | The jury deliberated for two hours. |
| perito | peritos | expert witness | expert witnesses | El perito analizó las evidencias. | The expert witness analyzed the evidence. |
| alguacil | alguaciles | bailiff | bailiffs | El alguacil mantuvo el orden. | The bailiff maintained order. |
| mediador / mediadora | mediadores / mediadoras | mediator | mediators | El mediador facilitó el acuerdo. | The mediator facilitated the agreement. |
Courtroom Objects
Courtroom objects are the physical items you’ll find in a legal setting. This section lists common Spanish terms for these essential tools.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| estrado | estrados | witness stand | witness stands | El testigo subió al estrado. | The witness took the stand. |
| mazo | mazos | gavel | gavels | El juez golpeó el mazo. | The judge struck the gavel. |
| toga | togas | robe | robes | El juez llevaba toga negra. | The judge wore a black robe. |
| acta | actas | minutes | minutes | Se redactó el acta de la sesión. | The session minutes were written. |
| expediente | expedientes | file | files | Revisaron el expediente del caso. | They reviewed the case file. |
| prueba | pruebas | evidence | evidences | Presentaron nuevas pruebas. | They presented new evidence. |
| micrófono | micrófonos | microphone | microphones | El testigo habló por el micrófono. | The witness spoke into the microphone. |
| sello | sellos | seal | seals | El documento tiene un sello oficial. | The document has an official seal. |
| escritorio | escritorios | desk | desks | El juez se sentó en el escritorio. | The judge sat at the desk. |
| banquillo | banquillos | dock | docks | El acusado está en el banquillo. | The defendant is in the dock. |
Legal Actions
Legal actions describe the verbs and processes used in court. This section focuses on key Spanish terms for what happens during a trial.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| juzgar | juzgar | to judge | to judge | El juez va a juzgar el caso. | The judge will judge the case. |
| apelar | apelar | to appeal | to appeal | Van a apelar la sentencia. | They will appeal the sentence. |
| testificar | testificar | to testify | to testify | El testigo testificó ayer. | The witness testified yesterday. |
| declarar | declarar | to declare / testify | to declare / testify | El acusado declaró en su defensa. | The defendant testified in his defense. |
| sentenciar | sentenciar | to sentence | to sentence | El juez sentenció a diez años. | The judge sentenced him to ten years. |
| arrestar | arrestar | to arrest | to arrest | La policía arrestó al sospechoso. | The police arrested the suspect. |
| interrogar | interrogar | to interrogate | to interrogate | El abogado interrogó al testigo. | The lawyer interrogated the witness. |
| condenar | condenar | to convict | to convict | Fue condenado por robo. | He was convicted of theft. |
| absolver | absolver | to acquit | to acquit | El jurado lo absolvió. | The jury acquitted him. |
| mediar | mediar | to mediate | to mediate | El juez medió entre las partes. | The judge mediated between the parties. |
Legal Concepts
Legal concepts cover the fundamental ideas behind court proceedings. This section introduces important Spanish terms for understanding the law.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| derecho | derechos | right / law | rights / laws | Todos tienen derecho a un juicio justo. | Everyone has the right to a fair trial. |
| culpabilidad | culpabilidades | guilt | guilt | La culpabilidad debe demostrarse. | Guilt must be proven. |
| inocencia | inocencias | innocence | innocence | Se presume la inocencia. | Innocence is presumed. |
| responsabilidad | responsabilidades | responsibility | responsibilities | Tiene responsabilidad civil. | He has civil responsibility. |
| testimonio | testimonios | testimony | testimonies | El testimonio fue convincente. | The testimony was convincing. |
| evidencia | evidencias | evidence | evidences | La evidencia es contundente. | The evidence is compelling. |
| procedimiento | procedimientos | procedure | procedures | El procedimiento es lento. | The procedure is slow. |
| jurisdicción | jurisdicciones | jurisdiction | jurisdictions | El caso está fuera de mi jurisdicción. | The case is outside my jurisdiction. |
| sentencia | sentencias | sentence | sentences | La sentencia es definitiva. | The sentence is final. |
| apelación | apelaciones | appeal | appeals | La apelación fue rechazada. | The appeal was denied. |
This court vocabulary in Spanish provides a solid foundation for understanding legal settings and participating in judicial conversations.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Singular: hearing
- English Plural: hearings
- English Example: The hearing will be at 10 a.m.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
