sub judice

American

[suhb joo-di-see, soob yoo-di-ke] / sʌb ˈdʒu dɪˌsi, sʊb ˈyu dɪˌkɛ /

adverb

before a judge or court; awaiting judicial determination.

sub judice British

/ ˈdʒuːdɪsɪ /

adjective

(usually postpositive) before a court of law or a judge; under judicial consideration

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sub judice

First recorded in 1605–15, sub judice is from Latin sub jūdice

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He also said there was an "inherent danger" of breaking "sub judice" rules, which prevent MSPs from speaking about active legal proceedings without the permission of the presiding officer.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025

The rules of sub judice contempt require that journalists cannot report someone is guilty of a crime before they are convicted, which is why the word “alleged” is so ubiquitous in crime reporting.

From The Guardian • Aug. 31, 2019

The same 34 were also charged with breaching the suppression order and sub judice contempt, the publishing of material that could interfere with the administration of justice.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 26, 2019

He and Bosland said the charges were aiding and abetting breaches of the suppression order by international media, breaching the suppression order, scandalizing the court and sub judice contempt.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2019

Normally, a case that is sub judice cannot be commented upon in public or in the press.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023