Legal Definitions - judicial opinion

Definition: A written statement by a court explaining its decision in a case, including the facts, points of law, rationale, and dicta. It is also known as a court opinion or simply an opinion.

Examples:

• Majority opinion: An opinion joined by more than half of the judges considering a given case.
• Dissenting opinion: An opinion by one or more judges who disagree with the decision reached by the majority.
• Per curiam opinion: An opinion handed down by an appellate court without identifying the individual judge who wrote the opinion.

These examples illustrate how a judicial opinion is a written statement by a court explaining its decision in a case. Majority opinions are those joined by more than half of the judges, while dissenting opinions are those by judges who disagree with the majority. Per curiam opinions are those handed down by an appellate court without identifying the individual judge who wrote the opinion.