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Law vocabulary · Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

Judgment

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/nounCore term

In law, judgment means: The final decision of a court in a case, together with the reasons the judge gives for it; also the written document that contains this decision.

In Turkish: karar, hüküm

How it is used

Judges 'give', 'deliver' or 'hand down' a judgment; a party 'obtains' or 'enforces' a judgment. 'Judgment for the claimant' means the claimant won. Lawyers spend much of their time reading judgments as sources of law.

Example sentences

  1. The judgment runs to sixty pages, but the key reasoning is in paragraphs 40 to 52.

  2. We obtained judgment in our favour last week and are now trying to enforce it.

Common collocations

  • give judgment
  • hand down a judgment
  • enforce a judgment
  • default judgment
  • summary judgment
  • rulingAn official decision made by a judge or court on a particular question, such as whether evidence can be used or whether a claim can continue.
  • appealTo ask a higher court to review and change the decision of a lower court; also used as a noun for this request.
  • hand downTo announce a judgment or decision officially, especially when a court gives its decision after a period of considering the case.
  • precedentAn earlier court decision that judges use as an example or a rule when they decide later cases with similar facts or legal questions.
  • courtA place or institution where judges hear legal disputes and decide them according to the law; the word can also mean the judges themselves.

More terms: Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.