Русско-англо-русский юридический словарь

If something is done under the auspices of a particular person or organization, or under someone's auspices, it is done with their support and approval. (Collins English Dictionary)

I used to say that a party performs an obligation. (The noun form is performance.) But I’m wavering. An obligation includes a duty not to do something, so perform would have to encompass sitting on your hands. That might be a stretch.

At the drafting workshop I held in Toronto earlier this week under the auspices of Osgoode Professional Development, I invited participants to suggest alternatives. One candidate was discharge an obligation. It would seem a plausible candidate: Black’s defines the noun discharge as “Any method by which a legal duty is extinguished; esp., the payment of a debt or satisfaction of some other obligation.” But it’s a rather specialized word.

Another suggestion was fulfill an obligation. The American Heritage Dictionary gives as a definition of fulfill “To carry out (an order, for example).” So fulfill, too, would seem to work.

But my current favorite is comply with an obligation. Sure, it’s a word longer than the alternatives, but I think it’s the most straightforward option. What do you think?

One thing I wouldn’t do is use two or more of the above alternatives. (Adams on Contract Drafting)