May 16, 2010

#1,100

Justice has been one of the motors of history, because it is the name envy assumes in the mouth of the son contesting his parents' will.

Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección, p. 194

2 comments:

  1. The original Spanish is:

    La justicia ha sido uno de los motores de la historia, porque es el nombre que asume la envidia en boca del querellante.

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  2. According to the Real Academia Española, a querellante is someone who brings a querella in court. The equivalent of a querella, in Anglo-American law, is a will contest.

    The original Spanish does not specifically mention the son as the party bringing the will contest. However, in the typical will contest it is a son who has been disinherited in his parents' wills who brings the lawsuit. Moreover, as I understand it, the specific grounds on which a querella is brought that the decedent's will violates the rights of a forced heir (heredero forzoso), who can only be disinherited for good cause.

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