noun
court battle; legal fight in court
Refers to a contentious legal dispute fought out in court, often implying a high-stakes or adversarial proceeding.
その特許侵害事件は長期の公判闘争となった。
The patent infringement case turned into a prolonged court battle.
法廷闘争 is a near-synonym also meaning 'court battle', but 公判闘争 specifically emphasizes the trial (公判) phase, while 法廷闘争 can refer to courtroom disputes more broadly.
Compound of 公判 (kōhan, 'public trial') and 闘争 (tōsō, 'struggle, fight').