"pena de tres días multa"

English translation: three-day fine

17:34 Feb 20, 2007
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law (general) / legislation - sanctions (Costa Rica)
Spanish term or phrase: "pena de tres días multa"
Can anyone shed light on the apparently incongruous use of "multa" in the context of a length of time, which would normally be used for a penalty of imprisonment rather than a "fine" (which one expects to be defined in terms of a sum of money)?

I can only suppose that it is referring to being fined the salary equivalent to the specified number of days? Can that be verified, please?

Reference is made, in a different clause, to a sanction of being suspended from exercising the profession for so many days, so one wonders why the above mention of days as a "fine" isn't more specific - is it a locally (Costa Rican) accepted usage?

Thanks
C.A.Fox (X)
English translation:three-day fine
Explanation:
This is an income related punishment, called "day fine".
Selected response from:

Willem Verkist
Local time: 15:22
Grading comment
Thanks very much. The links help to explain why to a native Brit it didn't seem like a particularly viable legislative concept!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5penalty of three days' fine, according to the per diem system
rivkabatsheva
4penalty of three days of salary
spanruss
4three-day fine
Willem Verkist


  

Answers


21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
penalty of three days of salary


Explanation:
You are correct.

spanruss
United States
Local time: 08:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 31
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
three-day fine


Explanation:
This is an income related punishment, called "day fine".

Example sentence(s):
  • Arizona to adapt the day-fine concept
  • day-fine is a monetary sanction that can be used as a sentence in criminal cases

    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_fine
    Reference: http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/299_562.pdf
Willem Verkist
Local time: 15:22
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks very much. The links help to explain why to a native Brit it didn't seem like a particularly viable legislative concept!
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1918 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
penalty of three days' fine, according to the per diem system


Explanation:
day-fine is understandable enough, yet "per diem" is a well established concept in the English speaking world. This just came up in a project, and my client was very satisfied with this translation.

rivkabatsheva
United States
Local time: 09:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
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