court precedents
Binding judicial decisions
Court precedents are prior judicial decisions that guide how courts rule on similar cases.
Under the principle of stare decisis, judges generally follow earlier rulings on comparable legal questions, creating consistency in the law.
Lower courts are bound by precedents from higher courts in their jurisdiction.
Lawyers cite precedents to argue how a case should be decided: The defense relied on court precedents establishing the right to remain silent.
- Marbury v. MadisonLandmark ruling establishing judicial review
- landmark rulingConsequential judicial precedent
- test caseLawsuit establishing legal precedent
- Brown v. Board of EducationLandmark desegregation decision
- case lawJudge-made legal doctrine
prior decisions · majority opinion · judicial review · dissenting opinion · Obergefell v. Hodges · Plessy v. Ferguson · legal reasoning · Roe v. Wade · Loving v. Virginia · constitutional law · judicial restraint · concurring opinion · overruling · holding
court precedentslegislation
Official enactment of statutes
statutory law · statutes · executive orders · natural law · acts of parliament
court precedentstextualism
Interpreting law literally
first impression · originalism · judicial activism · equity · judicial discretion
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