summary judgment
[/ˈsʌməri ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/]
nounpl: summary judgments
sentença sumária
1. A court decision rendered without a full trial, granted when there is no genuine dispute of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law
The defendant filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the plaintiff had no evidence to support the negligence claim.
O réu apresentou um pedido de sentença sumária, argumentando que o autor não tinha provas para fundamentar a ação por negligência.
2. A procedural mechanism used to dispose of cases early in litigation without the need for a jury trial
The judge granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff because the contract terms were unambiguous.
O juiz concedeu a sentença sumária a favor do autor porque os termos do contrato eram inequívocos.
Summary judgment is a fundamental procedural device in common law systems like the USA and increasingly recognized in Brazilian civil law procedure. It allows courts to expedite litigation by eliminating cases where the factual record is clear and only legal questions remain, reflecting the judicial efficiency values of American civil litigation.
Related Idioms & Phrases
no genuine issue of material fact
entitled to judgment as a matter of law
dispose of the case on the merits
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