Nunc pro tunc is a Latin expression that translates to “now for then”—meaning to do something now, and for it to have retroactive effect, as if it had been done at a previous time. In the legal context, a judgment nunc pro tunc is a new or changed judgment signed by the court that has retroactive effect to the date the corrected judgment was signed.

The purpose of a judgment nunc pro tunc is to correct a clerical error in the judgment after the court’s authority to change the judgment (its plenary power) has expired. Even a significant change to the original judgment may be accomplished through a judgment nunc pro tunc if it merely corrects a clerical error.

Thus, a judgment nunc pro tunc can generally only be used to correct a clerical error the court made when writing or recording (entering) the judgment the court made (rendered)—and not a judicial error (a substantive error in judicial reasoning) in the judgment. In other words, if the signed judgment inaccurately reflects the true decision of the court, then the error is clerical and may be corrected by judgment nunc pro tunc.

In Maine, as in other jurisdictions, a judgment nunc pro tunc is a legal mechanism used to correct clerical errors in a judgment after the court's authority to alter the judgment has expired. This tool is intended to ensure that the written record accurately reflects the court's original intention at the time the judgment was rendered. It is important to note that nunc pro tunc cannot be used to amend substantive judicial errors, which are mistakes made in the legal reasoning or decision-making process of the court. Instead, it is limited to clerical mistakes, such as typographical errors or inaccuracies in recording the judgment. The retroactive correction made by a nunc pro tunc order effectively means that the corrected judgment is considered to have been in effect from the original date it was supposed to have been entered. Maine courts, like federal and other state courts, adhere to this principle to preserve the integrity of the judicial process and ensure that the official record is a true reflection of the court's decisions.