germany legal-terms translation austria
Equivalent of the Austrian “bedingt” and “unbedingt” in English law
<p>What is the correct English legal translation of the words <em>unbedingt</em> and <em>bedingt</em> when referring to a court sentence? E.g.:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Jemand wurde zu vier Monaten bedingt verurteilt.<br>
  (Roughly: Sombeody was sentenced [bedingt] to four months.)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I read this in reference to Austrian law; I’m not sure if it’s also applicable to Germany.</p>

<p><em><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedingte_Strafnachsicht" rel="nofollow">Bedingte Strafnachsicht</a></em> (lit. <em>conditional clemency</em>) is an Austrian legal term, often referred to as <em>bedingte</em> (ant.: <em>unbedingte</em>) Strafe.
Germans would call it <em>auf Bewährung</em> or <em><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strafaussetzung_zur_Bew%C3%A4hrung_(Deutschland)" rel="nofollow">ausgesetzt zur Bewährung</a></em>. Details may differ, but the principle is the same.</p>

<p>In legal English the whole concept is known as a <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspended_sentence" rel="nofollow">suspended sentence</a></em>.</p>

<p>In Austria, just as in Switzerland and Germany, a <em>bedingte Strafe</em> is a <em>conditional penalty</em>. That is a penalty that is not executed immediately, but only when within a certain period some conditions are violated. During that time, the subject is on probation (<em>auf Bewährung</em>).</p>

<p><em>Unbedingt</em> therefore is translated <em>unconditional</em>.</p>

<p>For a definition see <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedingte_Strafnachsicht" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p>

<p>What differs between the countries is the severity of penalty that still can be granted as conditional.</p>
