precedents
Earlier binding decisions
Precedents are past actions or decisions that serve as examples or standards for future ones.
In law, precedents are prior court rulings that guide judges in similar cases: The Supreme Court set a precedent that lower courts must follow.
More broadly, any established custom or practice can be a precedent: There's no precedent for canceling the event.
To set a precedent is to establish a pattern others may follow or cite.
Philosophy governing legal systems
- rulingsAuthoritative decisions on matters
- decisionsConclusions reached after consideration
- opinionsSubjective beliefs or assessments
- appellateRelating to appeals
verdicts · judgments · appeals · doctrine · binding · overruling · citations · holdings
Representation or paradigm
- exemplarTypical perfect instance
- paradigmGoverning framework of thought
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
- templatePreset pattern for reproduction
standard · archetype · prototype · blueprint · guideline · benchmark · yardstick · criterion
Traditional practices or import taxes
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- conventionsAccepted social practices
- practicesRepeated training sessions
- normsExpected behavioral standards
rituals · protocols · observances · traditions · time-honored · lineage · continuity · folklore
Stored data or albums
- archivesStored historical documents
- annalsYear-by-year historical account
- chroniclesSequential historical accounts
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
jurisprudence
Philosophy governing legal systems
- rulingsAuthoritative decisions on matters
- decisionsConclusions reached after consideration
- opinionsSubjective beliefs or assessments
appellate · verdicts · judgments · appeals · doctrine · binding · overruling · citations · holdings · dissent
model
Representation or paradigm
- exemplarTypical perfect instance
- paradigmGoverning framework of thought
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
template · standard · archetype · prototype · blueprint · guideline · benchmark · yardstick · criterion · touchstone
customs
Traditional practices or import taxes
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- conventionsAccepted social practices
- practicesRepeated training sessions
norms · rituals · protocols · observances · traditions · time-honored · lineage · continuity · folklore · ceremonial
records
Stored data or albums
- archivesStored historical documents
- annalsYear-by-year historical account
- chroniclesSequential historical accounts
- historyancient civilizations, past events, historian, epochs, era
- legal referencesrestatements, treatises, digests, law reviews, hornbooks
- lawlaw, lawyer, lawyers, attorney, attorneys
- legallawyer, judge, jury, trial, verdict
- normsnorm, norms, standard, social norms, rule
- criminal lawcrime, felony, misdemeanor, murder, robbery
precedentssuccessors
Those who follow after
consequences · outcomes · aftermath · results · descendants
precedentsinnovations
New methods or devices
new ground · firsts · departures · blank slates · uncharted territory
precedentsoverrulings
Official nullifications of decisions
reversals · disruptions · ruptures · deviations · discontinuities
- legal precedentsPrior rulings guiding courts
- historical precedentPast event informing present
- court precedentsPrior rulings binding courts
- judicial precedentPrior ruling guiding courts
- precedent settingEstablishing basis for future decisions
- binding precedentPrior ruling courts must follow
precedent, precedence, unprecedented, precedented, precedent-setting