Sandro Tomasi Jan 10, 2015:

Lisa, Ditto. Cheers!

Lisa Maldonado Jan 10, 2015:

Sandro, Good points! If there is one thing I know...it's that even after years of study, there is always a lot more to learn. Thanks for lending your experience to the discussion.

Sandro Tomasi Jan 9, 2015:

Jacob, Thank you! Good luck with your project!

Sandro Tomasi Jan 9, 2015:

Lisa, Thank you for posting the pertinent statute and follow-up case law. I still don’t see this as analogous to discovery. Instead, I see it as analogous to a subpoena duces tecum because parties must bring evidence to the court, not turn it over to each other. Section 817 of the Panamanian code deals with “la inspección de la cosa litigiosa,” which is what Kieran was referring to with his answer, ad exhibendum, and documents to be produced before and examined by the court. The case law you cited deals with prueba anticipada, which allows for the advanced production of evidence when there is a threat that the evidence will not be available for trial.

(Terms in bold are related with the SL term in question.)

Jacob Lagnado (asker) Jan 9, 2015:

That's a very useful definition to have Lisa, thanks. And a good point that the specifically Latin Am legal vocabulary is poorly served in the dictionaries. I find this true even with more general vocab, and I think it has long been a complaint re the Real Academia dictionary. Sandro, that is a really succint solution that gets to the heart of the meaning without using 'discovery' or indeed 'inspection'.

Lisa Maldonado Jan 8, 2015:

Rest of citation ...le interesa personalmente.

Here is a segment with a Supreme Court judgement on the scope of the legislation:

Aunado a lo anterior, ha sostenido en lo referente a lo señalado en el artículo 815 del Código Judicial que para que proceda el aseguramiento de prueba “…la parte solicitante debe cumplir, a satisfacción del juez de la causa, con por lo menos dos requisitos, a saber: a) Que la parte actora demuestre que pretende demandar o tema ser demandada por la parte afectada, y b) Que exista temor justificado por la parte actora de que eventualmente puede faltarle un medio de prueba o hacérsele difícil o impracticable su obtención dentro del proceso que pretenda iniciar o teme sea iniciado contra ella por parte de la parte afectada con el aseguramiento…” (Corte Suprema de Justicia – Pleno – fallo del 29 de enero 1991 Amparo de Garantía Constitucionales Vidrios Panameños, S.A. vs Juez Tercero de Circuito del Ramo Civil).

Lisa Maldonado Jan 8, 2015:

Here is the excerpt from the Judicial Code Artículo 815 del Código Judicial: Cuando una persona pretenda demander o tema que se le demande y existe temor justificado de que eventualmente pueda faltarle un medio de prueba o hacérsele difícil o impracticable su obtención en el momento oportuno, puede solicitarle al juez que se practique de inmediato cualquiera de las siguientes pruebas:

1. Diligencia exhibitoria
2. …………………………………
3. ………………………………..

….the rest of the examples are not included in the text.

However, then it goes on to say the following:

Artículo 817. Mediante diligencia exhibitoria, el Juez lleva a efecto la inspección de la cosa litigiosa, o de los libros, documentos u otros objetos que se hallan en poder del demandado real o presuntivo, del demandante, o de terceras y que el peticionario estime conducente probar o hacer efectivo sus derechos, pretensiones, excepciones o defensas.
Para los efectos de las limitaciones a que se refiere el artículo 89 del Código de Comercio, se tendrá como parte legítima la que solicita la diligencia exhibitoria, aunque sea extrajudicial, siempre que exprese en su solicitud cuál es la relación sustancial o el interés jurídico que pretende probar con la diligencia, y en qué forma

Sandro Tomasi Jan 8, 2015:

Lisa, It would be nice if you could provide us with said Panamanian legislation. Perhaps the one I have is outdated. This is how would I would resolve the term in the cited context:

El Juez decreta la medida de aseguramiento de prueba anticipada consistente en diligencia exhibitoria en favor de (la empresa solicitante).

The judge orders the preventive measure in favor of (the requesting company), which consists of advancing the production of evidence.

Lisa Maldonado Jan 8, 2015:

Having seen the Panamanian legislation... I think we were working on the same job, Jacob, and my section had the Panamanian legislation establishing the constraints on ordering the measure. In spite of the comment by Sandro that Discovery only happens in 2 of 20 Spanish-speaking countries, the description of the measure in the legislation seems pretty much exactly equivalent to the definition of Discovery in the common law system. Perhaps the best thing would have been to leave the original term (which I also struggled with: "exhibitoria" is not even a word, according to the RAE) and put in a translator's note saying something like "a procedure similar to Discovery in the common law system". Sandro, what would you have done to get around this lexical/semantic/legal system gap? As an aside, it is amazing how many countries in LA have super specific words that are not found in the legal language even of other countries in LA. And, even Thomas L. West's dictionary ES-EN Dictionary of Law and Business does not contain this term (although it defines 18 other kinds of diligencias). Lots of great, meaty research has been done by all, either way!

Jacob Lagnado (asker) Jan 8, 2015:

Thank you for such helpful contributions. I will go with discovery proceeding as it seems to be the closest equivalent but given some of the reservations expressed will not enter into the open glossary but rather leave it as an open discussion that welcomes further contributions. The (legal) client incidentally later suggested discovery or inspection (which doesnt mean they are right necessarily!)

Sandro Tomasi Jan 7, 2015:

NOT Discovery Discovery is an anglo legal system/procedure that is ONLY carried out in 2 out of 20 Spanish-speaking countries: Colombia and Puerto Rico.

Lisa Maldonado Jan 7, 2015:

Explanation in Spanish Found this in a legal encyclopedia at this URL: http://www.enciclopedia-juridica.biz14.com/d/exhibitoria/exh...

En Derecho Procesal se denomina así la acción Cid exhibendunt; o sea, la perteneciente a la persona interesada en alguna cosa y a la cual permite la ley que, por medio de juez competente, requiera al poseedor para que la exhiba y ponga de manifiesto, con el fin de formalizar con más claridad la demanda o cerciorarse de las pruebas existentes.

See also this explanation of Discovery in English: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/discovery

Discovery proceeding seems to be a good translation.