Lex loci — in Spanish and Italian.

Definition

The law of the place where an act occurs.

Spanish and Italian equivalents

In Spanish, Lex loci is rendered as Lex loci / Ley del lugar; in Italian, as Legge del luogo. Spanish usage admits more than one form (Lex loci / Ley del lugar); 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 Latin Legal Terms & Maxims terminology

Latin is the one vocabulary the three legal languages share, but they do not use it in the same way. Terms such as res judicata, habeas corpus, pro bono or prima facie are everyday English in U.S. courts; Spanish and Italian lawyers use many of the same maxims yet often prefer a vernacular form (cosa juzgada, giudicato). A certified translation keeps the Latin where the target reader expects it and substitutes the native term where the Latin would read as foreign — a judgement call that depends on the document and its audience.

Related terms in Latin Legal Terms & Maxims

• Ab initio — Ab initio (desde el inicio)
• Actus reus — Acto reo / Elemento material
• Ad hoc — Ad hoc (para esto)
• Ad litem — Ad litem (para el litigio)
• Amicus curiae — Amicus curiae / Amigo del tribunal
• Bona fide — De buena fe
• Caveat emptor — Caveat emptor / A riesgo del comprador
• Corpus delicti — Cuerpo del delito
• De facto — De facto / De hecho
• De jure — De jure / De derecho
• Dolus — Dolo
• Erga omnes — Erga omnes / Frente a todos
• Ex aequo et bono — Ex aequo et bono / Según equidad
• Ex parte — Ex parte / De una sola parte
• Habeas corpus — Habeas corpus
• In dubio pro reo — In dubio pro reo
• In flagrante delicto — In fraganti / En flagrancia
• Inter partes — Inter partes / Entre las partes
• Ipso facto — Ipso facto
• Ipso jure — Ipso iure / De pleno derecho
• Iura novit curia — Iura novit curia
• Lex fori — Lex fori / Ley del foro
• Locus standi — Legitimación / Locus standi
• Mens rea — Mens rea / Elemento subjetivo
• Modus operandi — Modus operandi
• Mutatis mutandis — Mutatis mutandis
• Ne bis in idem — Ne bis in idem / Non bis in idem
• Nemo iudex in causa sua — Nadie puede ser juez en causa propia
• Nulla poena sine lege — Nulla poena sine lege
• Obiter dictum — Obiter dictum
• Onus probandi — Onus probandi / Carga de la prueba
• Pacta sunt servanda — Pacta sunt servanda
• Prima facie — Prima facie
• Pro bono — Pro bono
• Pro rata — Prorrata / A prorrata
• Quid pro quo — Quid pro quo
• Ratio decidendi — Ratio decidendi / Razón de la decisión
• Res judicata — Cosa juzgada
• Sine die — Sine die
• Stare decisis — Stare decisis
• Sub judice — Sub iudice
• Ultra vires — Ultra vires / Más allá de las facultades
• Vacatio legis — Vacatio legis
• Versus (v.) — Contra (c.)
• Audi alteram partem — Audi alteram partem / Oír a la otra parte
• Actori incumbit probatio — La prueba incumbe al actor
• Animus — Animus / Intención
• De minimis — De minimis
• Ex officio — De oficio
• Ignorantia juris non excusat — La ignorancia de la ley no excusa
• In camera — A puertas cerradas / In camera
• In limine — In limine
• In pari delicto — In pari delicto / Igual culpa
• Inter alia — Inter alia / Entre otras cosas
• Mandamus — Mandamus / Mandamiento
• Nexus — Nexo
• Per curiam — Per curiam
• Per se — Per se / En sí mismo
• Res ipsa loquitur — Res ipsa loquitur / La cosa habla por sí misma
• Sui generis — Sui generis
• Ultra petita — Ultra petita

Browse the full Latin Legal Terms & Maxims 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.