Taña Dalglish Feb 9, 2009:

Thanks Paul: I merely mentioned this to the asker in terms of grammar. Un abrazo.

Paul García Feb 9, 2009:

Taña: The issue for you seems to be "instances," how often one phrase or the other is used. Both phrases are technically "correct;" one grammatically, the other because it's common usage. There is some room for flexibility, in the courts, at least...

Taña Dalglish Feb 9, 2009:

Marcelo and Paul:
While I fully understand the use of the subjunctive/and boilerplate, that is not the issue here. I pointed out the use of “please” or “pleases” to the asker. When I did the search isolating the terms (as explained to Henry), the results were as follows:
By isolating the words "please" from "pleases" and this is what I got:
Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 22,700 de Your honor, if it+"please" the court ... (0.24 segundos)
Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 297,000 de Your honor, if it "pleases" the court ... (0.22 segundos).
The asker asked me (hfp: 11:48 9 Feb 2009: Are you sure? - Hey, Taña. Thanks for commenting. Are you sure, though? The original document, which I did not write, does say "if it please the court".)
It is evident that both are used (and has nothing to do with boilerplate legalese, per se) for example in http://snltranscripts.jt.org/94/94aoj.phtml, it is a question of grammar. Both, as in this example, from the trial of the Century shows two instances of the use of the phrase (and two different things):
Robert Shapiro: Your Honor, if it pleases the court?
Marcia Clark: No, Your Honor, if it please the court.. uh.. the prosecution would ask that, in place of broccoli and sausage, that we order a four-cheese pizza.
My point was not the use of the subjunctive or boiler plate legalese.

Paul García Feb 9, 2009:

it was the subjunctive, which we still use in boilerplate legalese...

Marcelo González Feb 9, 2009:

Excuse me: that's "It appears to BE the use of..." :-)

Marcelo González Feb 9, 2009:

An exact-phrase search (as Henry has done) gives us an idea of how often the phrase is used. As for the use of "it please," I'd say it may be due its (very old) use in this specific context of law. It appears to the use of an English subjunctive mode (e.g., I suggest he discuss this with...).

Taña Dalglish Feb 9, 2009:

Hi again Henry: What I did was this: in the search area, I isolated the word please from pleases by using: If it+"please" the court; or If it+"pleases" the court (using the plus sign and " sign).... Un abrazo. Taña

Henry Hinds Feb 9, 2009:

Interesting search, also. I can't quite grasp what you did there, but the results are extremely different. Well, I guess we have two interesting questions today!

Taña Dalglish Feb 9, 2009:

Hi Henry. Interesting indeed. I did the search a slightly different way and isolated the words "please" from "pleases" and this is what I got:
Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 22,700 de Your honor, if it+"please" the court ... (0.24 segundos)
Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 297,000 de Your honor, if it "pleases" the court ... (0.22 segundos).

Henry Hinds Feb 9, 2009:

Interesting:

Results 1 - 10 of about 45,000 for "if it please the court".
Results 1 - 10 of about 6,360 for "if it pleases the court".

Any experts in English grammar out there? Why is the top version preferred?

Taña Dalglish Feb 9, 2009:

Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 22,700 de Your honor, if it+"please" the court ... (0.24 segundos)
Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 297,000 de Your honor, if it "pleases" the court ... (0.22 segundos)
1. [PDF]
Information for Prosecution If it pleases the Court your Honour ...
- [ Traducir esta página ]
Formato de archivo: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Versión en HTML
If it pleases the Court your Honour, my name is Samuels and I appear for the. Prosecution in this matter.” On the 17th March 2001 at 6.25am, a milk vendor ...
www.courts.sa.gov.au/schools/resources/mock_trials/galt_adv... - Páginas similares
2. [PDF]
Instructions for Police Prosecutor “If it pleases the Court, your ...
- [ Traducir esta página ]
Formato de archivo: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Versión en HTML
“If it pleases the Court, your Honour, my name is John Smith and I appear for the Prosecution in this matter.” On Saturday the 20 ...
www.courts.sa.gov.au/schools/resources/mock_trials/pett_adv... - Páginas similares

Taña Dalglish Feb 9, 2009:

hfp: Personally, it sound better to my ear "pleases" (Court being singular). However, for the sake of the translation, I don´t think it is relevant. But see: http://snltranscripts.jt.org/94/94aoj.phtml

hfp (asker) Feb 9, 2009:

Are you sure? Hey, Taña. Thanks for commenting. Are you sure, though? The original document, which I did not write, does say "if it please the court".

Taña Dalglish Feb 9, 2009:

hfp: Just a note on the English text: It should read: "Your honor, if it pleaseS the court...." (with an "s" at the end of please.