Legal Translation of “fault”: faute or faille?

The term fault is a true lexical chameleon. Depending on the field, it may refer to a legal fault, a geological fault line, or a technical defect. In translation, identifying the correct context is absolutely essential.

🌍 In Geology and Technical Fields: faille, panne, défaut

In science and engineering, fault refers to an anomaly or malfunction.
Examples:

• a fault in the system → un dysfonctionnement

• tectonic fault → faille sismique

• faulty wiring → câblage défectueux

👉 In this register, fault has nothing to do with law: it is about a technical or natural issue.

⚖️ In Law: faute, tort

In liability law, fault corresponds to the French notions of faute or tort—the misconduct or breach attributed to a person that may give rise to liability.
Examples:

• through no fault of the party → indépendamment de toute faute de la part de la partie

• the victim was not at fault → la victime n’était pas dans son tort

• to establish fault → établir la faute

👉 Note: fault does not automatically mean responsibility or liability, but it is often the basis for them.

✅ In Summary

📌 TransLex’s Advice

The word fault perfectly illustrates the importance of technical and legal context in translation:

• In geology/engineering, it refers to a defect or fault line.

• In law, it aligns with the notion of faute in civil liability, i.e. the conduct giving rise to responsibility.

👉 Confusing faute with faille can lead to serious mistranslations in contracts, expert reports, or judgments.