Adjudicative

Adjudicative is an adjective relating to adjudication, the process of resolving disputes and rendering formal judgments by courts or other authorized bodies.

In legal contexts, adjudicative describes activities where an authority assesses facts, applies applicable law, and decides rights or obligations. This includes hearings, evaluation of evidence, rulings on admissibility of evidence, and the issuance of judgments or orders.

The term is commonly contrasted with legislative or rulemaking functions. Adjudicative proceedings are typically fact-intensive and aimed at resolving specific disputes, whereas legislative functions create general rules. In administrative law, agencies may perform both quasi-legislative (rulemaking) and adjudicative (quasi-judicial) roles; the latter involves formal processes similar to court hearings, such as notices, cross-examination, and formal findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Adjudicative facts are those about the immediate case that must be proved and weighed to decide it, as distinguished from legislative facts that inform broader policy decisions. The neutrality and independence of adjudicative bodies are central to due process and fair determinations.

Etymology: from Latin adjudicare, to judge. Usage: appears in law reviews, administrative law texts, and court rulings to describe the decision-making aspects of dispute resolution.