judgment on the pleadings
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt ɒn ðə ˈpliːdɪŋz/
- Formal
:
sentencia sobre los alegatos
- The court granted a judgment on the pleadings because both parties agreed on the key facts.
Examples
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If there are no material factual disputes, a party may request a judgment on the pleadings.
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After reviewing the written submissions, the judge issued a judgment on the pleadings.
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The court issued a judgment on the pleadings in favor of the plaintiff.
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Can we expect a judgment on the pleadings soon?
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The court issued a judgment on the pleadings, concluding that both parties agreed on the key facts.
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After reviewing the documents, the judge reached a judgment on the pleadings without needing a trial.
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In several cases, the attorney successfully argued for a judgment on the pleadings based on the evidence presented.
Synonyms
181
2.6
A formal decision given by a court in a legal case
96
4.0
An official decision made after careful thought
10
6.7
A court decision without a full trial when the facts are not in doubt
2
5.7
A ruling by a court about a legal case
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
judgment + on + the + pleading
The phrase literally combines 'judgment' (a court decision) with 'on the pleadings' (about the written pleadings), so learners who know the words will understand it refers to a decision concerning pleadings. However, the specific procedural nuance — that the decision is made before trial based only on the written pleadings when facts are undisputed — is specialized legal knowledge not predictable from the words alone, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Judgment on the pleadings comes from the idea of giving a judgment after reading only the parties' written pleadings. Imagine a judge reading both sides' papers and deciding the case without a 'trial', so the phrase means a court decision based only on the written papers when the facts are not in dispute.