Legal Definitions - expediente

The term expediente, originating from Spanish law, refers to an official file, record, or a strategic action. It encompasses several related meanings, often pertaining to formal governmental or legal processes.

• 1. Official Records of Land Grants: This meaning refers to a comprehensive collection of documents and historical records that detail the process and legal basis for a government's grant of land, particularly from a sovereign power. It serves as the official history of how a piece of land was originally allocated.

  • Example: In a historical archive in Mexico, researchers might consult an expediente containing all the original petitions, surveys, and royal decrees that led to a specific land grant being awarded to a prominent family during the colonial era.

    Explanation: This example illustrates the first meaning because the expediente here is a historical record of proceedings and documents related to a grant of land by the sovereign (the Spanish crown) to an individual or family.

• 2. Legal or Administrative Case File: In a broader sense, an expediente can refer to the complete official file for any legal or administrative case. This file contains all the documents submitted by parties, official orders, correspondence, and evidence related to the matter.

  • Example: A lawyer preparing for a court hearing in a civil dispute in Spain would review the client's expediente, which includes the initial complaint, responses from the opposing party, witness statements, expert reports, and all previous court orders.

    Explanation: This demonstrates the second meaning as the expediente is the comprehensive, official record of all filings and orders pertinent to an ongoing lawsuit.

• 3. A Strategic Maneuver or Action: Less commonly in a strictly legal sense, but still within its broader usage, expediente can describe a specific action or strategy employed to achieve a particular result, often in a resourceful or expedient manner.

  • Example: During a complex international trade negotiation, one country's delegation might devise a clever procedural expediente to bypass a diplomatic deadlock and move discussions forward on a critical agreement.

    Explanation: Here, expediente refers to a specific, strategic maneuver or tactic designed to achieve a desired outcome (breaking a deadlock) in a complex situation.