Haryana Judicial Service (Civil Judge) Prelims 2010 Previous Year Question Papers with MCQ Answers

The correct option is C: either preliminary or final.

A decree is a formal and authoritative order, especially one having the force of law. A decree can be of different types, depending on the stage and nature of the suit. A preliminary decree is one that declares the rights and liabilities of the parties, but does not completely dispose of the suit. A final decree is one that completely settles the suit and leaves nothing to be decided in the future. A decree can also be partly preliminary and partly final, if it deals with some issues conclusively and leaves some issues to be determined later. Therefore, a decree can be either preliminary or final, depending on the circumstances of the case.