Masculine noun. From the Latin summarium, summary. In ordinary Spanish, sumario may refer to a summary or table of contents. In Legal Spanish, however, it usually refers to the preliminary stage of an investigation or to the file containing the proceedings carried out during that stage. E.g.: El sumario se encuentra bajo secreto de actuaciones → The investigation file is subject to confidentiality. Another common expression is instruir un sumario: to conduct or carry out a formal investigation. E.g.: Se ordenó instruir sumario para determinar las responsabilidades correspondientes → A formal investigation was ordered to determine the corresponding liabilities. The adjective is also sumario/a, meaning summary, abbreviated, or expedited, as in procedimiento sumario. Be careful: in Legal Spanish, sumario rarely means merely a summary. More often than not, it refers to an investigation or the file containing it. dc
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