summary judgment

IPA/sˈʌməɹi dʒˈʌdʒmənt/
IPA/sˈʌmɚɹi dʒˈʌdʒmənt/

summary judgment — noun

1. A decision made by a judge that ends a legal case without a full trial. It is gi

1.nounC1
Definition

A decision made by a judge that ends a legal case without a full trial. It is given when the court determines that the key facts are not in dispute and that one side is clearly entitled to win under the law, making a trial unnecessary.

Example

Judge Park granted summary judgment to the landlord because the tenant had broken the lease.

grant summary judgment to [party]

Because key facts were still in dispute, the court denied summary judgment.

deny summary judgment

Common collocations
  • motion for summary judgment
  • grant summary judgment
  • deny summary judgment
  • seek summary judgment
  • file a motion for summary judgment
  • oppose a motion for summary judgment
  • summary judgment motion
Antonyms
  • trial

    when summary judgment is denied, the case goes to a full trial where a jury or judge hears all the evidence

Usage Note

Most common in US federal and state civil procedure. The party requesting summary judgment (the movant) must show there is no genuine dispute about any material fact. If the judge finds even one key fact in dispute, the motion will be denied and the case will proceed to trial.

Common Mistakes

Summary judgment means the trial was shorter than usual.
Summary judgment means the case was decided without a trial at all.
'Summary' here means 'done without the full formal process,' not 'brief' or 'condensed.'

Etymology

First known use

1798

1798, in the meaning defined above