Every seasoned legal translator knows that understanding the differences between their source and target languages is the secret ingredient in the exceptional translation sauce. Experienced legal translators know what first, second, and third instance courts are called in both legal systems, why some but not all judges are called justices, why words like “magistrate” may…
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This week’s word of the week is caution, and no, I don’t mean a warning or admonition. I stumbled upon this term in the context of loans and securities. And while I cannot quote context for confidentiality reasons, I can tell you that it found its way to my computer via a client in England.…
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Under the common law tradition, when accomplishing a specific goal is not entirely up to the promising party, the parties may agree that the promisor use reasonable efforts, or some other efforts standard, to accomplish that goal. In such cases, the contract will only impose an efforts standard in connection to one or more specific…
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I know, I know, “to the extent that” is four words, not one. But the question of what “to the extent that” means in warranty claims has come up in court and merits consideration. The Case The case is Zayo Group v Ainger. The Court is the England and Wales High Court (Commercial Court). The…
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When I was a budding young lawyer-linguist, the word deed was the cause of many headaches. Though it might seem like a straight-forward enough word in English, the truth is it can be a real head-scratcher in cross-border scenarios that require translation. Translating it correctly involves understanding not just what a deed is, but…
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