Translation & Writing Exercises

Basic Instructions: 1. We have prepared three exercises for you. 2. Start with the one that you feel more comfortable with. 3. You may do as much as you feel appropriate. 4. The more you practice the better. 5. You do not need to do all of the exercises if you do not want to. 6. When you finish, send it to: marioglezhdez@me.com so that we can provide you with feedback.

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Module 3: Litigation
Exercise A Translation Practice (English-Spanish) Source Text
In September 2009 the Mexico City Congress passed a major reform of the Code of Civil Procedure of the Federal District. Of around 1,000 articles in the code, over 300 were amended. The key amendments included the introduction of oral proceedings and the use of electronic service of notifications. The reform also sought to improve the appeals process, the collection and production of evidence and foreclosure proceedings. Electronic communications The changes to the rules on using electronic communications in certain procedural stages have generally been seen as a positive development. The term 'electronic communications' now appears in seven provisions of the code. Such communications can be used for requests between courts, general notifications in proceedings, notifications to witnesses and, in the new oral proceedings, all notifications except service. Oral proceedings can be recorded electronically and parties may request a copy of the electronic record. However, the new rules do not define the term 'electronic communications'. Although this can be remedied in guidelines from the local judiciary council (ie, the administrative body of the local judiciary) or by the interpretation of the federal courts, it would have been preferable to have a definition in the code. For example, Article 89 of the Commercial Code establishes that the term 'data message' refers to information generated, sent, received or stored by electronic, optical or similar technologies, and that 'information system' means a system for generating, sending, receiving, storing or otherwise processing data messages. These definitions provide clarity in commercial transactions. Article 111 of the Rules of Civil Procedure establishes that notifications within proceedings can be made by electronic means. Despite the lack of definition, the amendments are considered useful, as they will help to eliminate unnecessary formalities in civil proceedings, especially with respect to notifications. Oral proceedings One of the most controversial amendments is the addition of a new section regulating oral proceedings. Such proceedings are limited to cases where a set amount is in dispute - at present, the threshold is Ps212,460 (approximately $16,300). Decisions rendered in such proceedings are not subject to appeal. The drafting of the new section is over-complicated, duplicating several provisions on ordinary civil

Your Translation
En septiembre de 2009, el Congreso de la Ciudad de Mxico aprob una reforma importante al Cdigo de Procedimientos Civiles del Distrito Federal. De 1000 artculos en el cdigo cerca de 300 fueron reformados. Las modificaciones clave incluyen la introduccin de procedimientos orales y el uso del servicio electrnico de notificaciones. La reforma tambin busc mejorar el proceso de apelacin, la recoleccin y produccin de pruebas y los procesos hipotecarios.

proceedings instead of simply referring to the general rules. However, the new section sets out several rules that did not exist in civil proceedings in Mexico City. For example, the general rule is that parties submit their arguments orally at the hearing and that all notifications (except service) can be made electronically. The changes also provide that parties can submit evidence in the claim, response, counterclaim and response to counterclaim, rather than only in the claim and response. In addition, the time allotted for a response to a claim is now 15 days, rather than nine days; the period for responding to a counterclaim has been extended from five days to 10 days. The amendments establish that the judge can conduct the hearing as he or she considers appropriate and that proceedings can be recorded electronically. They also provide for a preliminary hearing in which to determine accepted facts and reach agreements and determinations regarding evidence; this hearing also allows for an attempt at conciliation. The amendments are a first step towards incorporating oral proceedings into Mexico City's civil procedure and changing Mexico's overly formal civil procedure. However, the amendments could have been applied to all civil cases, rather than only to small-value claims. New appeal system Mexico City's civil procedure rules have traditionally made it difficult and complicated to challenge a court's resolutions. Although the amendments reduced the number of available challenges from five to four, they still leave room for confusion. For instance, they further complicate the processing of appeals - the most frequently used form of challenge is the one that was most amended. However, the amendments seek to allow for faster court proceedings by leaving certain intermediate appeals (ie, appeals against resolutions issued by the judge during proceedings) to be considered alongside an appeal against the final decision on the merits. They also make decisions more effective in certain circumstances by allowing for the enforcement of a first instance judgment despite the filing of an appeal against it. Previously, all intermediate appeals were resolved by the appeal court at the time of filing, which made it necessary to present all arguments and allegations in the intermediate appeal. However, such appeals did not halt the processing of first instance proceedings. However, final appeals barred the enforcement of first instance judgments. This system created problems in cases where the appeal court's decision on an intermediate appeal was issued after the civil court had rendered a final decision on the merits of the case; moreover, there was no way of enforcing a first instance judgment if it was appealed. The reform provides that reasons need not be advanced with the intermediate appeal, but should instead be filed with the final appeal - intermediate appeals and the final appeal are decided together. Where the intermediate appeal relates to the admissibility of evidence, the appeal court must study and (if appropriate) receive such pending evidence

before ruling on the merits of the final appeal. Intermediate appeals are examined only if the party bringing the appeal can show that the appeal has an impact on the merits of the case. However, this new system does not apply in all cases in a number of circumstances, intermediate appeals follow the old system. The applicable system depends on the type of resolution being challenged. Determining the correct approach requires reference to the entire code, since the exceptions are not grouped in the same article or section. Apart from these provisions, the most significant change in respect of final appeals is that in certain cases (ie, real estate lease proceedings, mortgage foreclosure proceedings and other summary proceedings), a final appeal does not prevent enforcement of the first instance judgment. However, the enforcing party must file a deposit-in-court certificate or a surety agreement to cover damages that enforcement may cause to the losing party. The losing party may be required to file a counter-guarantee in seeking to preclude enforcement of the judgment; the counter-guarantee covers damage and direct loss of profit that the suspension of the judgment may cause to the prevailing party. Setting aside final judgments The right to request that a final and binding judgment be set aside was introduced into Mexico City's civil procedure in 2004 and has been much criticized ever since. Although originally available in any one of seven sets of circumstances, it can now be sought only where: (i) the final and binding judgment was based on evidence that was found or declared to be fraudulent after the binding judgment was issued, or if the losing party was unaware of such a finding or declaration before such a judgment was issued; or (ii) the claimant was the victim of collusion or other fraudulent activity by the parties. This change is a positive step in favour of judicial certainty and make it more likely that a future reform will abolish this controversial procedure. Evidence The rules on evidence have undergone major modifications. The amendments were intended to harmonize the local civil procedure rules with the rules on commercial proceedings in the Commercial Code. The new rules reflect a wish to simplify and expedite the process of presenting evidence in civil proceedings, which has been a matter of concern for many years. Although the changes are not a complete solution, they represent a step in the right direction. Many of the specific aspects of the reform are technical, but in general the changes:

amend the rules on expert witnesses in order to ensure a balance between the parties and to enable them to substitute an expert witness before the hearing - this issue that was previously

interpreted on precedent, but was not clarified in statute; simplify the interrogation of witnesses of fact; amend the characterization of documents presented as evidence; and introduce rules for the examination of defendants and claimants. Foreclosure proceedings The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure on foreclosure proceedings have been changed in an attempt to make them simpler and fairer. In Mexico, summary proceedings are available for various causes of action - for example, to obtain the enforcement of a final judgment and to attach or auction a debtor's property. In general, the provisions of the reform:

clarify the regime for the attachment of negotiable instruments, debts and bank accounts; extend the deadline to answer the claim and counterclaims; and allow for the commencement of enforcement proceedings immediately after the final judgment is rendered, notwithstanding the filing of an appeal. In certain circumstances, creditors can opt to keep attached property as partial payment. Changes to this part of the code are intended to assist creditors in enforcing their rights; as such, they constitute a noteworthy step towards simplifying the enforcement of judgments. Significantly, the reform endorses mediation as an alternative to litigation, providing that settlements reached after mediation before the Centro de Justicia Alternativa, the official mediation agency, can be enforced through summary proceedings.

Source Text: http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/detail.aspx?g=a411bf28-91e7-427b-903a-c2d1f2000186

Exercise B Translation Practice (Spanish-English) Source Text

Cmo se ha desarrollado la implementacin de los juicios orales en materia civil y mercantil en el DF? La implementacin de los juicios orales, tanto civiles como mercantiles, en esta ciudad se ha desarrollado en 3 vertientes: 1. La de reformas al Cdigo de Comercio y al Cdigo de Procedimientos Civiles del Distrito Federal, a travs de las cuales se implementaron en el sistema jurdico la oralidad en las materias en cita, trayendo como consecuencia un cambio sustancial en la forma de tramitar los juicios, dado que de tener procedimientos eminentemente escritos con la entrada en vigor de las reformas ahora los procedimientos son principalmente orales, en donde la comunicacin entre los jueces y las partes, tanto formales como materiales, y entre stas, es en forma verbal. 2. La implementacin de los instrumentos necesarios para la video grabacin de las audiencias orales, preliminar y de juicio, en donde se busca que las audiencias ya no se reproduzcan en papel, sino en discos magnticos que conserven la imagen y los sonidos de lo acontecido. En la actualidad ya se cuenta con la infraestructura para equipar 20 salas de oralidad. 3. La construccin de 20 juzgados de oralidad y el mismo nmero de salas, para as cumplir con los asuntos del que son competentes los juzgados orales.

Your Translation
How has the implementation of civil and mercantile oral trials been developed in Mexico City? The implementation of both, civil and mercantile oral trials in Mexico City, has been developed in three fields:

Cmo se han estructurado los juzgados orales, cul es la diferencia con el personal y sus responsabilidades? Los juzgados civiles de proceso oral, que conocen de asuntos de naturaleza civil y de mercantil por concurrencia, se encuentran

estructurados con 10 servidores: el juez, 3 secretarios de acuerdos, un secretario actuario, 3 pasantes y 2 administrativos. Las responsabilidades para los funcionarios en mencin son las mismas que estn establecidas en la Ley Orgnica del Tribunal Superior de Justicia del Distrito Federal, siendo prudente puntualizar que los Secretarios de Acuerdos son los encargados de realizar los proyectos de sentencia. Es necesario que los litigantes se actualicen en las tcnicas e instrumentos que implican estos nuevos procesos mixtos. En los juicios orales cmo se usarn y atendern las jurisprudencias? En los juicios orales se deben fundamentar las resoluciones con apoyo en los criterios federales que constituyan jurisprudencia, y por ello, si la resolucin se dicta por escrito, ser precisamente con la transcripcin de la tesis y la razn de su aplicacin como se fundamenta; en tanto que en las resoluciones verbales, su aplicacin se har con la lectura que se realice en la audiencia de la tesis y su proyeccin en la videograbacin respectiva, pero siempre con la finalidad que las partes tengan pleno conocimiento del criterio que se est aplicando. Cundo y cmo se aplica la supletoriedad en el juicio oral? Los juicios orales, tanto civiles, como mercantiles,

se

encuentran

regulados

en

los

cdigos

respectivos, y en lo no previsto se deben aplicar las reglas generales esto de es, los la mismos aplicacin

ordenamientos;

complementaria de las reglas generales a los captulos de oralidad no debe entenderse como supletoriedad, complemento embargo, de sino la precisamente misma de como Sin

legislacin. juicios

tratndose

orales

mercantiles, al captulo respectivo se aplican complementariamente las reglas generales del mismo Cdigo de Comercio y slo si stas reglas son insuficientes en su regulacin, si se aplica supletoriamente el Cdigo Federal de

Procedimientos Civiles y en su defecto el local de la entidad o del Distrito Federal. Cul es el papel del Juez en la

conciliacin de las partes y hasta dnde se les puede obligar a cumplir los acuerdos

pactados? El Cdigo de Procedimientos Civiles en el artculo 1003, establece que durante la celebracin de la Audiencia procurar Preliminar, la corresponde entre las al Juez partes,

conciliacin

hacindoles saber los beneficios de llegar a un convenio, proponindoles soluciones;

establecindose igualmente que las partes no podrn invocar, en ninguna etapa procesal, antecedente alguno relacionado con la

proposicin, discusin, aceptacin, ni rechazo de las propuestas de conciliacin. En el artculo 1390 Bis 35 del Cdigo de Comercio se incluye adems la facultad del juzgador para actuar como mediador, que implica un actuacin como tercero completamente

imparcial, pero auxiliando a las partes para la construccin de un dilogo constructivo y

conciliatorio. La sentencia se dicta en la audiencia de juicio. Su materializacin es inmediata, lo que permite que sea notificada sin mayor formalidad. En la prctica el Juez exhorta a las partes para que inicien ese dilogo constructivo que les permita exponer recprocamente su punto de vista respecto de la problemtica que los ha llevado a una instancia judicial; se les recuerda que en la mayora de los casos la relacin que existe entre ellos implica la existencia de algn antecedente de negociacin que origin el vnculo contractual que los liga, lo que a su vez denota que en ese momento pasado tuvieron la capacidad de dilogo para alcanzar un consenso, por lo que se les invita a que recuperen por un momento esa habilidad para dialogar de forma conciliatoria y se propongan mutuamente alternativas de solucin a su problema; recordndoles que el resultado del juicio es una mera expectativa de derecho para ambos, por lo que la celebracin de un convenio judicial representa la ventaja de que ellos mismos establezcan el alcance de las obligaciones a su cargo y la forma de cumplirlas.

Source: http://www.forojuridico.org.mx/juicios-orales-civiles-y-mercantiles/

Exercise C Writing Practice Write a 500-word essay What is your professional perception of oral trials in Mexico?