Federnotizie ha deciso di tenere una rubrica periodica per offrire ai suoi lettori l’approfondimento di alcuni termini inglesi più frequentemente utilizzati dai professionisti che operano nel settore legale. Si tratta di spiegare in modo semplice alcune parole, espressioni o frasi elementari precisandone il significato, il corretto utilizzo ed il contesto giusto nel quale inserirle. Si tratterà quindi di “pillole” di inglese giuridico anche per chi ha una conoscenza scolastica della lingua, che verranno pubblicate con frequenza quindicinale.
Tuttavia le maggiori difficoltà che gli italiani incontrano nella interpretazione della lingua estera non si riscontrano nella lettura di un testo, quanto piuttosto nella comprensione della lingua parlata. Proprio per aiutare a superare questa difficoltà Federnotizie ha scelto di avvalersi di una persona esperta del settore, che insegna quotidianamente a legali, in particolare notai, l’inglese legale: Peter Liebenberg di lingua madre inglese – Legal English ESL (English as a Second Language) Specialist.
Mr. Liebenberg leggerà o meglio esporrà in un breve video, al quale si potrà facilmente accedere, il contenuto della “pillola”. La parte essenziale del testo esposto dallo Specialist sarà resa disponibile anche per iscritto in modo che si possa ascoltarne l’esposizione e successivamente leggere la “pillola” o anche leggere prima il testo e seguire poi il video, al fine di acquisirne la corretta pronuncia e abituarsi ad ascoltare e comprendere.
Let’s improve our legal English while enjoying it!
Party, counterparty and counterpart
Transcript:
Helllo!
Today we look at party, counterparty and counterpart.
Remember that when we refer to an individual who is entering into a contract, we call that person a party to the contract or agreement. We do not call that person a part to the contract, but a party to the contract. Also note that we don’t say he “He is a party of the contract” but we say “He is a party to the contract”, So, can I say “He is part of the contract”? No, because we say ““He is a party to the contract”.
Now, the other person who enters into a contract or agreement is called the counterparty. Also in this case we say “She is the counterparty to the agreement” and not “of the agreement”.
But we know that the word counterpart also exists in Legal English. So, can I say “She is the counterpart to the agreement”? No because we call the other person the counterparty. So we say “She is the counterparty to the agreement”
Counterpart means another thing.
When we sign a contract the parties to the contract don’t have to be in the same place, city, or even country. Party A could be in Nairobi and Party B could be in Nocera. Each party will have a “copy” or, better still, the exact same papers of the contract and will put their signatures to the contract where they are. Each one of these papers or “copies” is called a counterpart. Their lawyers or representatives will then give party A the counterpart signed by party B, and party B the counterpart signed by party A.
We write in the contract that “This agreement has been signed in counterparts” and by this sentence, the judge, and the world at large, understands that Party A has a counterpart signed by party B, and party B the counterpart signed by party A and the union of these two counterparts is the contract. This avoids the need of having both signatures on the same papers or the need for people to be in the same place when signing a contract.
Obviously if there are 3 parties involved, there will be 3 counterparts, or 4 parties, 4 counterparts and so on. In all of these cases the union of all these counterparts creates the agreement.
Thank you, and see you next time for more Peter’s Pills to improve your legal English.
See how “party to a contract” is translated into Italian here: https://context.reverso.net/traduzione/inglese-italiano/party+to+a+contract
Legal English – Sommario delle Lezioni
- Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 4
- Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 3
- Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 2
- Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 1
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