Judgment (law)

In law, a judgment, also spelled judgement, is a decision of a court regarding the rights and liabilities of parties in a legal action or proceeding. Judgments also generally provide the court's explanation of why it has chosen to make a particular court order. The phrase "reasons for judgment" is often used interchangeably with "judgment," although the former refers to the court's justification of its judgment while the latter refers to the final court order regarding the rights and liabilities of the parties. As the main legal systems of the world recognize either a common law, statutory, or constitutional duty to provide reasons for judgment, drawing a distinction between "judgment" and "reasons for judgment" may be unnecessary in most circumstances. American and British English spelling differences Judgment is considered a "free variation" word, and the use of either judgment or judgement (with an e) is considered acceptable. This variation arises depending on the country and the use of the word in a legal or non-legal context. British, Australian, New Zealand, American, and Canadian English generally use judgment when referring to a court's formal ruling. Judgement is commonly used in the United Kingdom when referring to a non-legal decision. Translations from non-English texts demonstrate varied spelling of the word. For instance, the English translation of France's Code of Civil Procedure uses "judgement" throughout. Decisions of a quasi-judicial body and administrative bodies may be colloquially referred to as "judgments." However, these decisions can be distinguished from judgments as the legal definition of judgment contemplates decisions made by judges in a court of law. Therefore, even if a quasi-judicial or administrative body considers questions of law, its decisions might not be referred to as judgments. A judgment may be provided either in written or oral form depending on the circumstances. Oral judgments are often provided at the conclusion of a hearing and are frequently used by courts with heavier caseloads or where a judgment must be rendered quickly.