Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

fiscal principal

English translation:

Chief Compliance Officer

Added to glossary by Charles Davis
Sep 5 20:14
2 mos ago
38 viewers *
Spanish term

fiscal principal

Spanish to English Law/Patents Law (general) College or association of physicians
Dear fellow translators:

This term is regarding a member of a governing body for a Venezuelan college of physicians. This member (fiscal principal) is, in turn, a member of a "Tribunal disciplinario" (which I would translate as 'Disciplinary committee').

"Main prosecutor" does not sound right to me, as this person is actually a medical doctor, not an attorney. Perhaps 'monitoring member', or 'lead statutory auditor'?

'Comptroller' or 'Prosecuting counsel' don't sound right to me in this context. This document is meant for the US.

I appreciate your suggestions and inputs.
Change log

Sep 8, 2024 06:17: Charles Davis Created KOG entry

Discussion

philgoddard Sep 6:
I'm not just commenting on your suggestion, Adrian. I'm saying that I think Rodrigo's suggestions may be on the right lines. It's not all about you.
Adrian MM. Sep 6:
Phil G. breach of ProZ site rules AGAIN: 3.4 'The only acceptable means of commenting on another's answer is by using the peer comment feature. Using the discussion area, the answer posting form or the answer explanation box to comment on another's suggestions is not allowed.'

philgoddard Sep 5:
I don't think this is necessarily a disciplinary post. The person is a member of the governing body AND the disciplinary committee.

In this Venezuelan psychologists' professional body, which appears to have a very similar structure, the 'fiscal principal' is responsible for 'fiscalía', whatever that is.
http://www.fpv.org.ve/wordpress/colegio-de-psicologos-del-di...

Proposed translations

+4
11 hrs
Selected

Chief Supervisory Officer

This, I think, is in line with your own suggestions ("'monitoring member" or "lead statutory auditor").

According to the RAE's Diccionario de americanismos, "fiscal has the following meaning in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Bolivia:

"Persona de la junta directiva de una asociación o institución que se encarga de fiscalizar las actuaciones monetarias y las acciones de los miembros."
https://www.asale.org/damer/fiscal

I think it's very likely that it means the same thing in your context in Venezuela as well.

"Fiscalizar" means oversee or supervise. It quite probably includes "actuaciones monetarias", which would match your suggestion of "auditor", though I don't think the role is confined to auditing. To my mind the term that best expresses the range of functions such a figure would perform is "Supervisory Officer". In many difference contexts, a supervisory officer is there to make sure things are being done by the book, as it were. Naturally, in the event of disciplinary proceedings, that person would be involved, but not only or even primarily in that event.

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Note added at 11 hrs (2024-09-06 08:10:39 GMT)
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It is worth nothing that in the document Phil Goddard has cited in the discussion area about the Colegio de Psicólogos of Caracas, "Tribunal Disciplinario" and "Fiscalía" are two separate sections, and the Fiscal Principal, Eliana Beomont Vargas, is not even a member of the Tribunal Disciplinario. This would surely be inconceivable if the Fiscal Principal were the Disciplinary Officer.

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Note added at 12 hrs (2024-09-06 08:24:16 GMT)
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In short, "fiscal" sometimes has nothing to do with its most familiar meaning of a prosecutor, and I think this is such a case.

"Officer", of course, is not a military term here at all. It simply means "one who holds an office of trust, authority, or command", like a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and so on, in a company.

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Note added at 12 hrs (2024-09-06 09:01:27 GMT)
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"Fiscal", as a noun, very often means a prosecutor:
"2. m. y f. Persona que representa y ejerce el ministerio público en los tribunales."

But it can also mean someone who keeps check on and denounces others' actions:
"3. m. y f. Persona que averigua o delata operaciones ajenas."
https://dle.rae.es/fiscal?m=form

and more specifically "Persona de la junta directiva de una asociación o institución que se encarga de fiscalizar las actuaciones monetarias y las acciones de los miembros", as already quoted above.

I think there's no doubt that it means the latter, not the former in this case. The idea that a medical association would have a figure approximating to a prosecutor seems to be entirely implausible.

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Note added at 13 hrs (2024-09-06 09:22:58 GMT)
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An alternative that has just occurred to me is Chief Compliance Officer.

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Note added at 1 day 10 hrs (2024-09-07 06:16:29 GMT)
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Hi Rodrigo, I don't think you need to worry if you used "Disciplinary Officer" in your translation. It is pretty close, and there is some room for debate about what the term actually does mean. I thought "Supervisory Officer", or "Compliance Officer", which would be my choice, were probably closer, which is why I posted another answer, but I can't be entirely sure. Choose the answer you think is best.

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Note added at 1 day 10 hrs (2024-09-07 06:17:07 GMT)
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Pardon the bold type: it was not intended.
Note from asker:
Due to time constraints, I actually used Adrián's answer, but... I have to agree that your suggestion and the word 'compliance' fits much better in this context, although I do not know in this case if this figure handles financial details, though I don't think so. I think 'disciplinary officer' is not that far away in meaning, but, if I'm wrong, please let me know. . Either way, thank you all for your very insightful comments.
Peer comment(s):

neutral Adrian MM. : All you have done is, disingenuously, reword my answer and 'fiscal' doesn't mean supervisory. I had been hoping Edward Tully would repost his Chair/person answer as it fits the E&W Solicitors(') Disciplinary Tribunal: https://solicitorstribunal.org.uk/
32 mins
Nonsense. It is not a rewording of your answer. Supervision and discipline are by no means synonymous and "fiscal" can mean supervisory. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is entirely irrelevant.
agree philgoddard : 'Compliance' is perfect.
2 hrs
Thanks, Phil. I think I prefer it too.
agree liz askew
3 hrs
Many thanks, Liz
agree AllegroTrans
8 hrs
Thanks!
agree Sandro Tomasi : The Pink Panther strikes again.
16 hrs
LOL! Thanks, Sandro :-)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+2
1 hr

Senior Discpilinary Officer

- on the lines of a Prosecuting Officer in a US Court Martial.

Tribunal disciplinario" : Disciplinary Board - in the USA and UK - rather than Committee.

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Note added at 11 hrs (2024-09-06 07:37:28 GMT)
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Disciplinary.....
Example sentence:

USA: State medical boards discipline physicians by issuing mandates known as “board orders,” which stipulate the specific action taken against a physician's license.

Within delegated authority, the Senior Conduct and Discipline Officer is responsible for the following duties...

Peer comment(s):

agree AllegroTrans : Yes, but comparison with Court Martial is off beam
11 mins
Thanks, but the Officer idea triggered my answer 'by'analogy'.
agree Adriana Costa (X) : But correct the spelling for DISCIPLINARY
16 mins
Gracias, Adriana, y desde luego y por supuesto.
agree Sandro Tomasi
2 hrs
Gracias, Sandro, and thanks de novo y de nuevo.
neutral Charles Davis : In my interpretation of "fiscal", this person's role is broader than discipline. // Lifting half of your answer? You flatter yourself. Supervision is indeed inherent in the term "fiscal", as used here, in my opinion.
10 hrs
That didn't stop you lifting half of my answer, though. I also alluded to prosecuting officer and 'supervisory' is not immanent e.g. inherent in the term ' fiscal'.
disagree philgoddard : You don't mention 'fiscal' anywhere in your explanation or references.
13 hrs
Something went wrong...
22 hrs

Chief Officer

I think you can also say this in substitution to Chief Supervising Officer. Here's a link below I cited from the Real Academia Espanol that defines what fiscal means.
Peer comment(s):

neutral AllegroTrans : I don't think your suggestion deals with "fiscal"
21 hrs
Something went wrong...
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