Legal Definitions - expediente

Definition: Expediente (ek-sped-ee-en-tee) is a Spanish legal term that has three meanings:

1. The papers or documents that prove ownership of a piece of land granted by the government. This is especially true for historical records of land grants by the sovereign.
2. A legal or administrative case file that contains all the official records of a lawsuit, including filings and orders.
3. A maneuver or action taken to achieve a specific result.

Examples:

• When Maria inherited her grandfather's farm, she had to present the expediente to prove that the land was legally hers.
• The lawyer requested the expediente of the case to prepare for the trial.
• The politician used an expediente to pass the controversial law without the approval of the opposition.

The first example illustrates the first meaning of expediente, which refers to the papers or documents that prove ownership of a piece of land granted by the government. In this case, Maria had to present the expediente to prove that the land was legally hers.

The second example illustrates the second meaning of expediente, which refers to a legal or administrative case file that contains all the official records of a lawsuit, including filings and orders. In this case, the lawyer requested the expediente of the case to prepare for the trial.

The third example illustrates the third meaning of expediente, which refers to a maneuver or action taken to achieve a specific result. In this case, the politician used an expediente to pass the controversial law without the approval of the opposition.