Legal translators (and lawyers and professors) often require a minimum basic vocabulary in a specific area of law, something that they will be hard pressed to find searching word-by-word in a dictionary. (In this case, the “problem” with dictionaries is that they are in alphabetical order.) Blog entries labeled “Capsule Vocabularies” feature some of the basic terminology lists developed for use by my students of Legal English that I hope may also be of interest to translator and interpreter colleagues and other legal professionals.

A previous post featured the basic vocabulary of Spanish provisional remedies proceedings and the requisites for granting provisional remedies. Here we look at some of the specific remedies available under the Civil Procedure Act (Ley de enjuiciamiento civil), providing a brief description where warranted and a possible English translation for each. (The source of this terminology is my Léxico temático de terminología temática español-inglés.)

• medidas cautelares—provisional remedies; interim/interlocutory remedies; interim relief (or) injunctive relief (if the relief granted is an injunction—orden de hacer o no hacer)
• embargo preventivo de bienes—pretrial/prejudgment attachment of assets
• auto de embargo preventivo—writ of attachment; pretrial/prejudgment attachment order
• anotación preventiva de demanda—notice of lis pendens; notice of pendency of action (entered on public registers)
• orden de hacer o no hacer—mandatory or prohibitory injunction
• orden de cesación/abstención/prohibición provisional—temporary restraining order; preliminary injunction; cease and desist order
• intervención judicial de bienes productivos—placement of productive assets under judicial supervision (to monitor defendant’s management decisions)
• interventor judicial—court-appointed supervisor (of defendant’s affairs)
• administración judicial de bienes productivos—placement of productive assets under judicial receivership (appointment of a receiver to manage defendant’s assets)
• administrador judicial—court-appointed receiver/manager (of defendant’s assets)
• depósito de cosa mueble—consignment of personal property
• depósito de las cantidades reclamadas—deposit into court of amounts claimed
• formación de inventario de bienes—taking an inventory of defendant’s assets

Read more: Víctor Moreno Catena and Valentín Cortés Domínguez. Derecho Procesal Civil, Parte General. Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch, 2015, Lección 29: “Las medidas cautelares”, pp. 419-439.