This admittedly strange term describes a proceeding in which the matter in dispute was for some reason not adjudicated and, for example, appears in expressions such as dejando imprejuzgado el fondo del asunto or habiendo quedado imprejuzgado el fondo del litigio. In this context imprejuzgado has sometimes been translated literally as “untried,” “still untried” or “passed untried,” etc.

Although “not adjudicated” might provide a possible rendering, in this context dejando (and) quedando imprejuzgado el fondo are actually synonymous with the expressions sin entrar al fondo and sin una resolución sobre el fondo, and both can be translated as “without a decision (or) ruling on the merits.” Thus, as an example, auto que estima la excepción de incompetencia, dejando imprejuzgado el fondo refers to an “order granting a motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction, without a ruling on the merits.”