judicial precedent
Court-established legal standard
Judicial precedent is a legal principle established by a court decision that guides or binds future rulings on similar cases.
Under this doctrine, courts generally follow earlier decisions when the facts and legal issues align, creating consistency and predictability in the law.
The attorney cited judicial precedent from a landmark Supreme Court case.
Lower courts are typically bound by precedents set by higher courts in their jurisdiction, though courts may distinguish cases or, rarely, overturn precedent when circumstances warrant.
- common lawJurisprudence from judicial decisions
- test caseLawsuit establishing legal precedent
- distinguishingIdentifying differences
- case lawJudge-made legal doctrine
- reversingGoing in opposite direction
landmark decision · bench · supreme court · appeals court · judge · holdings · constitutional law · citation · rule of law · legal doctrine · robes · decision · binding · authority · legal · court · established · lower court
- criminal lawcrime, felony, misdemeanor, murder, robbery
- legal systemsconstitutional law, judiciary, criminal code, court system, penal code
- Supreme Courtchief justice, associate justices, justices, certiorari, oral arguments
- legal precedentscase law, landmark ruling, court decision, appellate decision
- constitutional lawConstitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment
- civil lawproperty disputes, Napoleonic Code, litigation, damage claims, codification
judicial precedentstatutory law
Legislature-made legal rules
constitutional amendment · executive order · statute · legislation · act of parliament
judicial precedentfirst impression
Instant assessment of someone
natural law · equity · judicial discretion · textualism · originalism