Procedural Terms

Court Order

A direction issued by a court during the course of proceedings, short of a final judgment or decree.

In Simple Terms

An instruction the court gives while a case is still going on — not the final decision, but a ruling on something along the way.

Detailed Legal Meaning

An order is a formal direction of a court that is not itself a decree — it may dispose of an interlocutory matter (e.g. granting or refusing an interim injunction, fixing a next date, admitting or rejecting an application) without finally determining the rights of the parties in the suit or petition as a whole. Some orders are appealable in their own right (as specified by the applicable procedural code); many are not, and are only open to challenge along with the final decision.

Common Court Usage

Recorded on the case's order sheet/daily cause list; compliance deadlines and next dates are typically fixed by order.

Related Terms