Category Archives: Difficult Dutch terms

A close look at Dutch legal words and phrases that Dutch legal professionals often find difficult to express in English.

Translating “verdedigbaar”

In this post, we look at how verdedigbaar can be properly expressed in English, especially in the phrase “het is verdedigbaar dat“. When a lawyer discusses a possible position or argument, one problem that arises is that, merely by stating it, the lawyer appears to be agreeing with it. Example:  Complete government access to our phone records is in the public’s interest…. Read more

Translating “onverminderd”

How should onverminderd artikel X be translated into English? This is a tricky translation point, perhaps one of the trickiest. At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Onverminderd artikel X should be translated as “without prejudice to article X”. This is the literal translation conventionally used in EU legislation. It reflects the French equivalent, sans préjudice de. However, there are a… Read more