Precedent

Federalism
•Key terms • Court cases •Major arguments • State responses to federal mandates • Federalism by the numbers • Index of articles about federalism

In common law, a precedent is a legal rule established through prior court cases that affect the application of law in future cases with similar questions and facts. The term may also be used to refer to the body of case law that guides judges in interpreting the law. If a court finds that a dispute is fundamentally distinct from all previous cases, judges have to set a precedent that becomes part of the common law and a guide for future decisions.^[1]

How it works[edit]

The legal doctrine built on precedent dictates that justices should apply the decisions in previous legal cases with facts similar to those of a case at hand to resolve legal disputes. When courts have no precedent relevant to a case to guide their decision-making, they can draw from precedents in other areas of the law and create analogies between those areas and the case at hand. Decisions made without relevant precedent are called cases of first impression and become precedential.^[1]

Precedent in the U.S. legal system[edit]

See also: Stare decisis

The application of precedent is also known as stare decisis, and is considered a part of judicial restraint in the United States' legal system.^[2]

Stare decisis may be applied both horizontally and vertically. It is said to be applied horizontally when a court follows its own precedent and vertically when a court follows the precedent of a higher court.^[3] In the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court is the highest authority with regard to stare decisis. The U.S. Supreme Court and the state supreme courts are responsible both for setting new precedents and for resolving conflicting legal rules.^[2]

Generally, courts only overrule precedent if they decide that a prior decision is unworkable in a particular case or if they believe a case was incorrectly decided. One example of a case where the U.S. Supreme Court overturned precedent was Brown v. Board of Education. In Brown, the Supreme Court decided to overturn its prior ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, rejecting the separate-but-equal doctrine and shifting the body of precedent in U.S. law.^[3][2]

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

v • e Terms and Definitions project

Pages within the project

Ballot  •  Democracy  •  Oregon tax revolt  •  Political action committee  •  Legislature  •  Taxpayer Bill of Rights  •  Big government  •  Supermajority  •  Eminent domain  •  Recall (political)  •  Chief petitioner  •  Eligible voter  •  Fraudulent signature  •  Signature certification  •  Petition drive  •  Secretary of State (state executive office)  •  Lieutenant Governor (state executive office)  •  Governor (state executive office)  •  Attorney General (state executive office)  •  Lower court  •  Revisor of Statutes  •  Elector  •  Bond issue  •  Statute  •  TIF district  •  Citizen  •  Tax revolt  •  Starve-the-beast  •  Electoral College  •  Vote counting system  •  501(c)(3)  •  501(c)(4)  •  Women's suffrage  •  Legislative Counsel (California)  •  Paid blocker  •  Sponsorship signature  •  Bicameral legislature  •  Electorate  •  State legislature  •  Washington, D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics  •  Associate Justice  •  Taxpayer-funded lobbying  •  Unicameralism  •  Bicameralism  •  Signature challenge  •  Sin tax  •  Township  •  Regulatory takings  •  Codes and Canons of Judicial Conduct  •  Continuing legal education  •  National initiative  •  Remonstrance-petition process  •  School district bond issue  •  Defense of Marriage Amendments  •  Civil law (common law)  •  Prohibition (writ)  •  Prerogative writ  •  Quo warranto  •  Federal Rules of Civil Procedure  •  Civil procedure  •  Arbitration  •  Evidence (law)  •  Procedural law  •  Rules of evidence  •  Trier of fact  •  Severance tax  •  Key open government terms  •  Circulator affidavit  •  Ethics  •  Fact blocking  •  Outsourced public information  •  Signature recovery lawsuit  •  Disenfranchisement  •  Voter suppression  •  Voter registration drive  •  Phone jamming  •  Jim Crow laws  •  Poll tax  •  Chief Justice  •  Precinct  •  Protest vote  •  Platform  •  Constituency  •  Intimidation of voters  •  Shy Elephant Factor  •  County seat  •  County council  •  County commission  •  County  •  County executive  •  Commonwealth  •  Mayor  •  City manager  •  Constitutional officers  •  Metagovernment  •  Union rights  •  Step movement  •  Seniority  •  Teacher merit pay  •  Divisions  •  Government  •  Judiciary  •  Open government  •  Election  •  United States Senate  •  United States Congress  •  United States House of Representatives  •  Step compaction  •  Step freeze  •  Federal judges on senior status  •  Supernumerary  •  Local government  •  Difficult  •  Skill-based pay  •  State Senate President Pro Tempore  •  State Senate Majority Leader  •  State Senate Minority Leader  •  Approved  •  Defeated  •  Rainy day fund  •  Audit Reports  •  Disclosure  •  Municipal bond issue  •  Read law  •  Signer intent  •  Fund balance  •  Conservatism  •  Random sampling  •  Upper house  •  Ad valorem tax  •  Lower house  •  Living Constitution  •  501(c)(2)  •  Recess appointment  •  IRS Form 990  •  501(c)  •  State legislator  •  General obligation bond  •  Constitutional article  •  School board  •  Colorado tax collectors  •  Fact finding  •  Florida school board  •  Florida sheriff  •  Maintenance of membership  •  Emergency clause  •  Chief Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court  •  Mill  •  Louisiana local officials  •  Financial year  •  Quarter  •  Colorado public trustees  •  Colorado directors of human services  •  Colorado public health directors  •  Colorado county attorneys  •  Colorado grants administrators  •  State Speaker of the House  •  Ballot-box budgeting  •  Arkansas local officials  •  Minnesota Board of Teaching  •  North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board  •  Clarity and factual hearings for Michigan recalls  •  President of the Senate  •  State Senate Majority Whip  •  Background checks  •  Local taxes  •  State Senate Majority Caucus Leader  •  State Senate Minority Caucus Leader  •  Question Time  •  Elected officials  •  Academic performance  •  Tied  •  Glossary of state budget terms  •  Membership dues deduction  •  Equalized mills  •  Earmarks  •  IRS code, section 501  •  Public school district (United States)  •  City  •  Agriculture Commissioner (state executive office)  •  Treasurer (state executive office)  •  Labor Commissioner (state executive office)  •  Public Service Commissioner (state executive office)  •  Superintendent of Schools (state executive office)  •  Natural Resources Commissioner (state executive office)  •  Controller (state executive office)  •  Auditor (state executive office)  •  Insurance Commissioner (state executive office)  •  State executive offices  •  Circle Peacemaking  •  New Seat  •  Restitution  •  Proactive disclosure  •  Government transparency  •  Board of supervisors  •  Index of Terms  •  Executive branch  •  Too close to call  •  Comprehensive Annual Financial Report  •  Advanced to Runoff  •  Local government budgets  •  Resign-to-run law  •  Sovereign immunity  •  Compensation  •  Super PAC  •  President of the United States  •  Constitution (document)  •  Nonprofit organization  •  Rate of return  •  Cost of living adjustment  •  Pension system  •  Open Meeting Law  •  Public records  •  Home rule  •  School district websites  •  Contracts  •  Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations  •  Taxpayer-funded lobbying disclosure  •  Texas sheriff  •  Colorado clerks of court and recorders  •  Colorado sheriffs  •  Lobbying  •  Administrative officials  •  Taxes  •  Usability  •  Mayor-council government  •  Council-manager government  •  Audits  •  Checkbook register online  •  Appointment confirmation process  •  PACs and Super PACs  •  Validity rate  •  Pension fund  •  Employee and employer contributions  •  Pension Terms and Definitions  •  Unfunded liabilities  •  Blue slip (federal judicial nominations)  •  Scheduled election  •  Unscheduled election  •  Energy terms and definitions  •  Glossary of education terms  •  Common Core State Standards Initiative  •  Impeachment of federal officials  •  Bipartisan  •  Education terms and definitions  •  Preliminary and certified election results  •  Glossary of energy terms  •  527 group  •  Race and Ethnicity on the United States Census  •  Genuine Progress Indicator  •  Appellate jurisdiction  •  Common law  •  Glossary of pension terms  •  Judicial review  •  P5+1 and E3+3  •  Double dipping  •  Trade promotion authority (TPA)  •  Trade adjustment assistance (TAA)  •  Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS)  •  Currency manipulation  •  Winner-take-all  •  Bundling  •  Original thirteen states  •  Campaign communications  •  Political strategist  •  Campaign manager  •  Political director  •  General jurisdiction  •  Grand jury  •  Resolution declaring the office of speaker vacant  •  Right-to-work laws  •  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)  •  Deferred Action for Parents of U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA)  •  Deferred action  •  Every Student Succeeds Act  •  Hybrid PAC  •  Stabilizer  •  Switcher  •  Supreme Court term  •  Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States  •  Supreme Court Rule 1  •  Supreme Court Rule 2  •  Supreme Court Rule 3  •  Supreme Court Rule 4  •  Supreme Court Rule 5  •  Supreme Court Rule 6  •  Supreme Court Rule 7  •  Supreme Court Rule 8  •  Supreme Court Rule 9  •  Supreme Court Rule 10  •  Supreme Court Rule 11  •  Supreme Court Rule 12  •  Supreme Court Rule 13  •  Supreme Court Rule 14  •  Supreme Court Rule 15  •  Supreme Court Rule 16  •  Supreme Court Rule 17  •  Supreme Court Rule 18  •  Supreme Court Rule 19  •  Supreme Court Rule 20  •  Supreme Court Rule 21  •  Supreme Court Rule 22  •  Supreme Court Rule 23  •  Supreme Court Rule 24  •  Supreme Court Rule 25  •  Supreme Court Rule 26  •  Supreme Court Rule 27  •  Supreme Court Rule 28  •  Supreme Court Rule 29  •  Supreme Court Rule 30  •  Supreme Court Rule 31  •  Supreme Court Rule 32  •  Supreme Court Rule 34  •  Supreme Court Rule 35  •  Supreme Court Rule 36  •  Supreme Court Rule 37  •  Supreme Court Rule 38  •  Supreme Court Rule 39  •  Supreme Court Rule 40  •  Supreme Court Rule 41  •  Supreme Court Rule 42  •  Supreme Court Rule 43  •  Supreme Court Rule 44  •  Supreme Court Rule 45  •  Supreme Court Rule 46  •  Supreme Court Rule 47  •  Supreme Court Rule 48  •  Supreme Court Rule 33  •  Special districts  •  District attorney  •  County assessor  •  Borough president  •  County sheriff  •  County clerk  •  County treasurer  •  Public administrator  •  County auditor  •  District clerk  •  Constable  •  Justice of the peace  •  Glossary of finance policy terms  •  Cloture  •  Sharing economy  •  Ridesharing  •  Homesharing  •  Interstate compact  •  Midterm elections  •  California Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017  •  Campaign finance methodology  •  Evidence-based medicine  •  Glossary of recall terms  •  Illegal alien  •  Battlegrounds  •  How we decide when to update vote totals on and after election night  •  Amicus brief  •  Senate Parliamentarian  •  Election integrity  •  Acting officeholder  •  Dave Beaudoin/Sandbox Impeachment of Ken Paxton  •  Impeachment of Ken Paxton, 2023  •  Slate of candidates  •