Como dizer "sem querer entrar no mérito" em inglês

[Bizunga]

Eu queria escrever em Inglês uma coisa que dizemos em Português frequentemente:

Dessa vez eu tenho que parabenizar a Polícia pela eficiência com que a mesma dispersou os manifestantes, sem querer entrar no mérito sobre a legitimidade do protesto.

Eu empaquei neste..."sem entrar no mérito

Até agora fiz...On this occasion I must give Brazilian Police a lot of credit for dispersing the rioters so efficiently...

[Henry Cunha]

Paulo, I was thinking strictly of the translation issues. My suggestion:

Dessa vez eu tenho que parabenizar a Polícia pela eficiência com que a mesma dispersou os manifestantes, sem querer entrar no mérito sobre a legitimidade do protesto.

This time I have to congratulate the Brazilian police for its efficiency in dispersing the protesters, leaving aside the issue of the legitimacy of the protest.

[PPAULO]

Without going into the merits of legitimacy, this time I have to give the the Brazilian police its due, for dispersing the rioters so efficiently (and effectively).

[Henry Cunha]

Without going into the merits of legitimacy, this time I have to give the the Brazilian police its due, for dispersing the rioters so efficiently (and effectively).

I think you should do a rewrite:

"Legitimacy" of what? (Legitimacy is in itself meritorious, so it's confusing to speak of "the merits of legitimacy.")

"Manifestantes" does not necessarily mean "rioters". And "protesto" doesn't mean "riot."

[PPAULO]

Yup, "merit" is more apt a word here.
As for the "rioters" I think the definition still holds, I don´t see why not to call people that get restless and confronts/clashes the police in a violent fashion, couldn´t be called such.

Demonstrators (manifestantes) are the pacific ones, they don´t grab coconuts and go to a demonstration with stones in backpacks. Rioters are what they are, if not the police woulnd´t need to disperse them, in the first place.

I begin to believe it´s not about fares´ prices anymore.

[PPAULO]

So, rephrasing:
Without going into the merits of the legal question, this time I have to give the the Brazilian police its due, for dispersing the rioters so efficiently (and effectively).

[Bizunga]

Eu acho que entendi a contradicao.

Quando chamamos os protestantes de rioters, estamos fazendo um julgamento, portanto, entrando no merito da passeata. Ha, portanto, uma contradicao.

[PPAULO]

Oh yea, I see your point. Thumbs up to your translation.

[Henry Cunha]

Of course to gloss over the issue of the legitimacy of the protest while focusing on the efficiency of the police action is to ignore the elephant in the room, isn't it?

[PPAULO]

We indeed were trying to focus on the question as it come, one way or the other is almost impossible not avoid some kind of bias. The very choice of words lead to some of it. One sympathetic to one side or other will use some words and avoid others, it´s hard not to.
We see that with, for example, news items in the BBC and Guardian (to illustrate just two in English) or O Globo and Folha de Sao Paulo (or O Fluminense/O Dia) and so on.

[felipeh6]

Hello,

Poderíamos usar "without any judgement" para "sem querer entrar no mérito"?

Thanks in advance!

[PPAULO]

Is not the most commom and natural way of saying that.

Indeed the author of the question meant to talk about the action of the police without commenting as to its merit, that is, without assessment of the question heart. Wether it being right or wrong, legal or not, wether political or not, or any other merit.
Judgement would be more a strong and "decisory" word, I think. But then, it´s me.

[Breckenfeld]

One more suggestion:

Dessa vez eu tenho que parabenizar a Polícia pela eficiência com que a mesma dispersou os manifestantes, sem querer entrar no mérito sobre a legitimidade do protesto.

Without going into the merits of the protest, this time I have to congratulate the police for the efficiency to disperse the protesters.

Bye!