Juzgado vs. tribunal vs. corte
The Spanish words tribunal, juzgado, and corte all translate to "court" in English, but they are used in different legal contexts. The main differences lie in the hierarchy of the judicial system, the number of presiding judges, and regional dialect variations between Spain and Latin America.
Juzgado
A juzgado is a lower-level court or a court of first instance where initial trials, hearings, and administrative legal tasks take place. It is almost always presided over by a single judge, known as a juez, rather than a panel of judges.
El abogado presentó la demanda en el juzgado civil de la ciudad.
(The lawyer filed the lawsuit in the city's civil court.)
Los testigos deben presentarse en el juzgado mañana a las nueve en punto.
(The witnesses must appear in court tomorrow at nine o'clock sharp.)
Se casaron por lo civil en un pequeño juzgado de su ciudad natal.
(They got married in a civil ceremony in a small court in their hometown.)
El juzgado de guardia estuvo abierto toda la noche para procesar a los detenidos.
(The duty court was open all night to process the detainees.)
Mi prima trabaja como secretaria administrativa en el juzgado penal.
(My cousin works as an administrative secretary in the criminal court.)
Tribunal
A tribunal typically refers to a higher-level court, an appellate court, or a specialized judicial body. Unlike a juzgado, a tribunal is usually composed of a panel of several judges or magistrates who debate and make decisions collectively.
El caso fue llevado a un tribunal superior para una revisión exhaustiva.
(The case was taken to a higher court for a thorough review.)
El tribunal de apelaciones revocó la decisión impuesta por el juez inferior.
(The appeals court revoked the decision imposed by the lower judge.)
Es un tribunal compuesto por cinco magistrados expertos en derecho laboral.
(It is a tribunal composed of five magistrates who are experts in labor law.)
El tribunal militar decidió absolver al soldado de todos los cargos.
(The military court decided to acquit the soldier of all charges.)
El tribunal de cuentas auditará los gastos del gobierno durante el último trimestre.
(The court of auditors will audit the government's expenses during the last quarter.)
Corte
The word corte is heavily used to refer to the absolute highest courts in a legal system, such as a supreme court, as well as international judicial bodies. Additionally, corte is widely used as the standard, everyday generic word for any "court" in Latin America, while Spain generally prefers juzgado or tribunal.
La corte suprema de la nación emitirá su veredicto la próxima semana.
(The supreme court of the nation will issue its verdict next week.)
Llevaremos este delicado asunto hasta la corte interamericana de derechos humanos.
(We will take this delicate matter to the inter-American court of human rights.)
El silencio reinaba en la corte antes de que se leyera la sentencia final.
(Silence reigned in the court before the final sentence was read.)
El fiscal presentó pruebas irrefutables ante la corte federal.
(The prosecutor presented irrefutable evidence before the federal court.)
La corte internacional de justicia tiene su sede principal en La Haya.
(The international court of justice has its main headquarters in The Hague.)
Summary
In short, use juzgado for local or lower courts led by a single judge. Use tribunal for higher appellate courts or specialized panels made up of multiple magistrates. Finally, use corte to refer to supreme or international courts, or as the general, everyday translation for "court" in Latin American Spanish.