Judicial remedies are such as are administered by the courts of justice, or by judicial officers empowered for that purpose by the constitution and statutes of this state.
§ 20.Judicial remedies defined
Preliminary Provisions · Enacted 1872 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 20 defines judicial remedies as those administered by courts of justice or by judicial officers empowered to do so under the state constitution and statutes.
Full Text of § 20
Plain-English Summary
Section 20 opens the code’s taxonomy of remedies with a definition: a judicial remedy is one administered by a court of justice, or by a judicial officer given that power under the California Constitution and the state’s statutes.
It’s a plain baseline meant to set up Section 21’s split of those remedies into actions and special proceedings.
Official Comment
The following official comments are published by the California Law Revision Commission (and, for a few older sections, its predecessor Code Commissioners) alongside the statute itself — not commentary from this site.
Code Commissioners' Note. Introduced as a concise and convenient definition of judicial remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a “judicial remedy” under the Code of Civil Procedure?
Section 20 defines it as a remedy administered by a court of justice or by a judicial officer empowered to do so by the state constitution and statutes.
Does a judicial remedy require a court of justice, or can a judicial officer administer one too?
Either. Section 20 covers remedies administered by a court of justice or by a judicial officer empowered to do so under the state constitution and statutes.
Amendment History
Enacted 1872.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: judicial remedy defined CaliforniaCCP section 20