Legal Definitions - judicial order

A judicial order is a written command or direction issued by a court or judge. It can be a final decree or an interlocutory direction or command that relates to some intermediate matter in the case. An order can be issued on a subsidiary or collateral matter arising in an action, not disposing of the merits, but adjudicating a preliminary point or directing some step in the proceedings.

Examples of judicial orders include:

• A court's determination of paternity, usually including a direction to pay child support (filiation order)
• An order directing a party to appear in court and explain why the party took (or failed to take) some action or why the court should or should not grant some relief (show-cause order)
• An order that relates to some intermediate matter in the case; any order other than a final order (interlocutory order)
• An order that must be executed as soon as it reaches the trading floor (fill-or-kill order)
• An order to buy or sell at a specified price, regardless of market price (limit order)
• An order to buy or sell at the best price immediately available on the market (market order)
• An order to buy or sell when the security's price reaches a specified level (the stop price) on the market (stop order)

These examples illustrate how a judicial order can be issued in various contexts, such as family law, civil procedure, and securities trading. They also show how a judicial order can be used to direct a party to take a specific action or to limit the scope of a party's claims or defenses.