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Can particularly serious defects render a judgment void so that it does not apply to the people it addresses? If the reasons cannot be understood, can the entire judgment be disregarded?<\/p>\n
A judgment may be unfounded or incorrect: its reasoning may conflict with generally accepted conclusions, lack logic or be inconsistent. That alone does not mean there has been a procedural error serious enough to make it void. If, however, the judgment is wholly incomprehensible and its meaning cannot be established through interpretation, even using the procedures for supplementing and interpreting judgments under the Code of Civil Procedure, it may be impossible to apply. The account of the case, wording or structure may be so unclear that, in legal terms, it is as if no judgment had been given. But if it is possible to discern what the court meant and how it ruled on the claim submitted to it, the judgment is not void merely because the reasons are obscure or contradictory, even if they conflict with formal logic, experience or scientific knowledge.<\/p>\n
Court practice shows that such cases, although rare, do occur. If you cannot understand what a judgment means, seek advice from a lawyer experienced in litigation about the steps available to you.
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