Decree
The formal expression of a court's final adjudication conclusively determining the rights of the parties.
In Simple Terms
The court's official final ruling on the actual dispute, as opposed to a decision on some smaller procedural point.
Detailed Legal Meaning
A decree conclusively determines the rights of the parties with regard to the matters in controversy in a suit, and may be preliminary or final. It is distinguished from an 'order', which disposes of procedural matters, and from a 'judgment', which contains the grounds for the decision.
Relevant Acts & Sections
- Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Search on India Code ↗
Section 2(2)
Common Court Usage
Drawn up following the judgment; execution proceedings are taken out on the decree, not the judgment itself.