cer·ti·fi·ca·tion /ˌsər-ti-fi-'kā-shən/ n
1 a: the act of certifying
b: the state of being certified see also certiorari
◇ Certification of an interlocutory decision by a trial court allows an appellate court to review the decision and to answer a controlling question of law. Certification is often used in state courts as well as federal courts and, where available, allows a federal court to refer a question of state law to the state's highest court. Certification is also used to refer to a judge's order that allows a suit to be maintained as a class action.
2: a certified statement
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.