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 Washington State, 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 a judgment nunc pro tunc cannot be used to amend judicial errors, which are substantive mistakes in the court's reasoning or decision-making process. Instead, it is limited to clerical mistakes, such as typographical errors or inaccuracies in recording the court's decision. The retroactive correction made by a judgment nunc pro tunc is as if the correct judgment had been entered at the original date of the judgment. The use of nunc pro tunc orders is governed by Washington court rules and case law, which outline the specific circumstances under which such an order may be issued and the procedural requirements for obtaining one.