The appellate court shall award a new trial or partial new trial, reverse or affirm the judgment or order of the trial court, in whole or in part, or give such judgment as the court ought to give. Unless justice otherwise requires, the court shall dispose finally of the case.
Rule 84.14.Disposition on Appeal.
Part II · Rule 84: Procedure in All Appellate Courts · Last amended January 1, 2002 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 84.14 gives the appellate court broad remedial power to order a new trial, reverse or affirm a judgment in whole or in part, or enter the judgment the trial court should have entered, while directing the court to finally resolve the case unless justice requires otherwise.
Full Text of Rule 84.14
Amendment History
Adopted June 13, 1979, eff. Jan. 1, 1980. Amended May 23, 2001, eff. Jan. 1, 2002.
Plain-English Summary
Once an appellate court decides an appeal, Rule 84.14 spells out its menu of remedies: it may award a new trial or partial new trial, reverse or affirm the trial court’s judgment or order in whole or in part, or give the judgment the trial court itself ought to have given. That last option lets the appellate court enter judgment directly instead of sending the case back for the trial court to redo the work.
The rule expresses a preference for finality: unless justice otherwise requires, the appellate court is to dispose of the case finally instead of remanding it for further proceedings. That preference is a guiding directive, not an absolute command — the court can still remand when the circumstances call for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What remedies can an appellate court order when it decides an appeal?
A new trial or partial new trial, reversal or affirmance in whole or in part, or the judgment the trial court ought to have given.
Can the appellate court just enter judgment itself instead of remanding?
Yes, the rule allows the court to give the judgment the trial court ought to have given instead of sending the case back.
Does the appellate court always order a new trial when it finds error?
No, the rule favors final disposition of the case unless justice requires a different result.
Can the court reverse only part of a judgment?
Yes, reversal or affirmance can apply in whole or in part.
Does this rule set the standard for finding error in the first place?
No, that comes from Rule 84.13; Rule 84.14 addresses the remedy once error has been found.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: appellate court judgment power Missourireverse and remand versus enter judgmentfinal disposition on appealappellate court gives judgment trial court should have entered