Public defender — in Spanish and Italian.

Definition

A state-appointed lawyer for those who cannot afford one.

Spanish and Italian equivalents

In Spanish, Public defender is rendered as Defensor oficial / Defensor público; in Italian, as Difensore d'ufficio. Spanish usage admits more than one form (Defensor oficial / Defensor público); the choice depends on the country and on the type of document. Spanish equivalents follow Argentine (Rioplatense) usage where it differs from European Spanish. In a certified translation the equivalent is chosen for the target jurisdiction; where the concept has no exact counterpart, the source term is kept alongside a functional explanation.

Translating Court Personnel & Legal Professionals terminology

Titles for lawyers and court officers are false friends across the three languages. A Spanish or Italian notario/notaio is a highly trained legal professional who drafts and authenticates instruments, nothing like a U.S. notary public; an Italian avvocato and a Spanish abogado both cover what English splits into attorney, counsel, barrister and solicitor; a procurador in Spain is a court representative with no U.S. counterpart. Translations of powers of attorney, engagement letters and court records keep the original title and explain the function where it matters.

Related terms in Court Personnel & Legal Professionals

• Lawyer / Attorney — Abogado
• Barrister / Trial lawyer — Abogado litigante
• Solicitor — Procurador
• Counsel for the defense — Abogado defensor
• Judge — Juez
• Presiding judge — Juez de cámara / Presidente
• Magistrate — Magistrado
• Prosecutor — Fiscal
• Clerk of court — Secretario / Actuario
• Bailiff / Process server — Oficial de justicia / Ujier
• Notary — Escribano / Notario
• Sworn translator — Traductor público / jurado
• Interpreter — Intérprete
• Expert witness — Perito
• Court-appointed expert — Perito oficial
• Witness — Testigo
• Guardian ad litem — Tutor ad litem / Curador
• Legal representative — Representante legal
• Attorney-in-fact / Agent — Apoderado / Mandatario
• Trustee — Fiduciario / Síndico
• Receiver / Administrator — Síndico / Administrador judicial
• Jury — Jurado
• Court reporter — Taquígrafo / Secretario de actas
• Ombudsman — Defensor del pueblo / Ombudsman

Browse the full Court Personnel & Legal Professionals area, return to the dictionary index, or search all 712 terms in the interactive dictionary (also available as a PDF).

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This page is for general orientation only. It is not legal advice and does not substitute for advice from licensed counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Terminology varies between countries and between civil-law and common-law systems; the equivalents shown here are the most common in cross-border practice.