What is "summary judgment"?

Summary judgment is a legal ruling made by a court that resolves a case or specific issues within a case without the need for a full trial. This judicial decision is based on the premise that there are no genuine disputes of material fact, and the party requesting the summary judgment is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Essentially, it allows the court to determine that, even if all the evidence presented by the opposing party were taken as true, that evidence would not be sufficient to change the outcome of the case.

In the context of civil procedure, summary judgment is an efficient means to expedite the legal process by limiting unnecessary trials when the facts are clear and not contested. The requesting party typically must present evidence such as affidavits, documents, depositions, or admissions to show that there are no factual disagreements, thereby supporting their legal argument.

Other choices relate to potential legal decisions but do not accurately describe summary judgment. For example, a full jury trial, a post-evidence motion, or a mutual settlement do not encapsulate the distinct nature and purpose of summary judgment, which is specifically to resolve cases based on legal principles rather than continued factual disputes.