Decree
A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States · John Bouvier · 1839
A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States
practice, is the judgment or sentence ofa court of equity. It is either interlocutory or final. The former is given on some plea, or issue arising in the cause, which does not decide the main question; the latter settles the matter ‘in dispute, and a final decree, has the same effect as a judgment at law.
2 Madd. Ch. 462; 1 Chan. Cas. 27; 2 Vern. 89; 4 Bro. P. C. 287. Vide 7 Vin. Ab. 394; 7 Com. Dig. 445; 1 Supp. to Ves. Jr. 223. -DECREE, legislation.
In some countries, as in France, some acts of the legislature, or by the sovereign, which have the force of law, are called decrees; as, the Berlin and Milan decrees... DECRETALS, eccles. law. The decretals were letters written by the sovereign pontifis, who answered questions propounded to them by the bishops, and even by private indiviwere called decretals, because they had the. force of law or @ecrees in the church.