enjuiciamiento

Enjuiciamiento is a legal term used in Spanish-speaking jurisdictions to denote the procedural stage in a criminal process during which a case is brought to trial before a court. It refers to the transition from preliminary proceedings, such as investigación o instrucción, to the judicial examination and resolution of the merits of the case. The enjuiciamiento is not itself a verdict; it is the phase in which charges, defenses, and evidence are presented so that the court can decide guilt or innocence.

In many civil law systems, including Spain, the sequence typically involves investigation and/or instruction conducted by judges or prosecutors, followed by the issuance of formal acts such as auto de procesamiento (order of processing) and, when the case is suitable for adjudication, auto de enjuiciamiento (order to prosecute or bring to trial). The enjuiciamiento leads to the oral trial (juicio oral) or other forms of adjudication before a competent tribunal. The specific terminology and procedures can vary by country, but the underlying concept remains the formal step of presenting the case to a court for decision.

Beyond criminal procedure, enjuiciamiento is sometimes used in political contexts to describe proceedings aimed at examining high officials for possible crimes or misconduct, sometimes akin to impeachment or political trial, depending on constitutional provisions.

Key distinctions: enjuiciamiento is a procedural phase aiming at adjudication; it follows investigation/instruction; it precedes the trial and potential conviction or acquittal.