Legal Definitions - Ruling

Ruling

A ruling is a decision made by a court in a lawsuit. It can be a final or non-final judgment, or a decision on a motion or application for a writ.

• After hearing all the evidence, the judge made a ruling in favor of the plaintiff.
• The court's ruling on the defendant's motion to dismiss the case was that it would proceed to trial.

These examples illustrate how a ruling is a decision made by a court in a legal case. In the first example, the ruling was a final judgment in favor of the plaintiff. In the second example, the ruling was a non-final decision on a motion to dismiss the case, indicating that the case would continue to be heard in court.