Glossary · General
De Novo
de-novo-1820982825ab82fc-2026-07-28
- Type
- Glossary
- Jurisdiction
- National
- Date
- 2026-07-28
- Topic
- General
Latin for anew, describing review in which a court decides an issue fresh, giving no deference to the decision below. Appellate courts review pure questions of law de novo, while factual findings usually receive a more deferential standard. The term also describes trials conducted from scratch after certain lower-tribunal proceedings.
Definition
Latin for anew, describing review in which a court decides an issue fresh, giving no deference to the decision below. Appellate courts review pure questions of law de novo, while factual findings usually receive a more deferential standard. The term also describes trials conducted from scratch after certain lower-tribunal proceedings.
De Novo. Latin for anew, describing review in which a court decides an issue fresh, giving no deference to the decision below. Appellate courts review pure questions of law de novo, while factual findings usually receive a more deferential standard. The term also describes trials conducted from scratch after certain lower-tribunal proceedings. Example: The appeals court reviewed the contract's interpretation de novo and reversed.