ascertainment; determination; assessment
The act of carefully examining and judging something to reach a conclusion, often used in formal or evaluative contexts.
It's hard to determine whether it's genuine or not.
Determining the cause of the accident is urgently needed.
We need to assess his true ability.
After much discussion, we were finally able to assess the situation.
Because his assessment was too lax, the plan failed.
判定 is an official or formal ruling (e.g. by a judge or referee), whereas 見極め refers to one's own careful assessment reached through observation.
Compound of 見 (mi, 'seeing') + 極め (kiwame, 'determining the limit'), from the verb 見極める (mikiwameru).