Legal Definitions - cadena

In Spanish law, cadena refers to a period of imprisonment or a prison sentence.

This term is further specified into different types of sentences:

• Cadena perpetua: This term denotes life imprisonment, meaning the convicted individual is sentenced to remain in prison for the rest of their natural life.
• Cadena temporal: This refers to a fixed-term imprisonment, where the convicted individual is sentenced to prison for a specific period of time that is less than life.

Here are some examples to illustrate these concepts:

• Example 1 (Cadena Perpetua): After a lengthy trial in Spain, a serial offender responsible for several violent crimes was found guilty. The court, considering the extreme gravity of the offenses, imposed a sentence of cadena perpetua. This means the individual will spend the remainder of their life incarcerated, reflecting the most severe punishment available under Spanish law for such heinous acts.

• Example 2 (Cadena Temporal): A business executive in Barcelona was convicted of significant financial fraud. The judge sentenced her to eight years in prison. This specific period of incarceration is an example of cadena temporal, as it is a defined term of imprisonment rather than a lifelong sentence.

• Example 3 (Cadena - General Context): During a public debate in a Spanish-speaking country about new penalties for cybercrime, legal experts discussed the appropriate "cadena" (period of imprisonment) for individuals found guilty of hacking critical infrastructure. They debated whether the existing cadena temporal provisions were sufficient or if new legislation should introduce longer fixed terms to deter such offenses.