Reserved Judgment
A judgment that a judge does not deliver at the end of the hearing but instead takes time to prepare in writing, before formally handing it down at a later date.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Where a case is complex, a judge may 'reserve' judgment rather than give an immediate oral ruling, so as to prepare a fully reasoned written decision. Civil Procedure Rules Practice Direction 40E, headed 'Reserved Judgments', 'applies to all reserved judgments which the court intends to hand down in writing', and sets out the procedure that governs the period between the hearing and formal hand-down.
The Practice Direction gives the parties controlled advance sight of the outcome: 'the court will provide a copy of the draft judgment to the parties' legal representatives by 4 p.m. on the second working day before handing down, or at such other time as the court may direct', and that draft must be kept confidential — 'neither the draft judgment nor its substance is disclosed to any other person or used in the public domain' — until formal hand-down. The judge or Presiding Judge may also invite the parties' views at the end of the hearing on the practical arrangements for handing the judgment down.
Related terms
Official sources
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