What is stare decisis Why is it important and why does the law need to be flexible?

Asked by: Nicolette Torphy  |  Last update: February 19, 2022
Score: 4.7/5 (73 votes)

Stare decisis is the principle that the Court's decision serves as a precedent for future cases that are similar. It is important because it makes the law predictable. ... On the other hand, the law also needs to be flexible and adaptable to changing times, social values and attitudes, and circumstances.

What is stare decisis and why is it important?

Stare decisis is a legal doctrine that obligates courts to follow historical cases when making a ruling on a similar case. Stare decisis ensures that cases with similar scenarios and facts are approached in the same way. Simply put, it binds courts to follow legal precedents set by previous decisions.

What is stare decisis and why is it important quizlet?

Stare decisis is a doctrine in which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions. In stare decisis, lower court must obey past decisions made by higher courts. This doctrine generally provides for fairness and consistency, which is important in ensuring everyone is treated equally.

What is stare decisis in law quizlet?

Stare Decisis. The doctrine by which judges are obligated to follow precedents established within a particular jurisdiction. Precedent. The authority afforded to a prior judicial decision by judges deciding subsequent disputes involving the same or similar facts and the same jurisdictions substantive law.

What are the advantages of stare decisis?

An advantage of stare decisis is that it enables judges to reduce the uncertainty associated with making decisions. They can check their re- sults against the results reached by similar judges. It is easy to see that stare decisis can be extremely valuable to a legal system.

Stare Decisis: What Is Stare Decisis? [No. 86]

17 related questions found

Is stare decisis common law?

Stare decisis is a legal term that refers to the doctrine of precedent, well established in common law – court rulings being guided by previous judicial decisions. The term is derived from a Latin phrase that means “to stand by things decided” or “let the decision stand.”

What are the advantages and disadvantages of stare decisis principle?

The advantage of the doctrine of precedent is that it provides certainty and predictability. The disadvantage, however, is that stare decisis can result in a lack of flexibility and an inability of the common law to adapt to changing moral, socio- economic, and political realities resulting in a static body of law.

What does the phrase stare decisis mean?

Stare decisis is the doctrine that courts will adhere to precedent in making their decisions. Stare decisis means “to stand by things decided” in Latin. ... Horizontal stare decisis refers to a court adhering to its own precedent.

Does stare decisis means let the decision stand?

stare decisis, (Latin: “let the decision stand”), in Anglo-American law, principle that a question once considered by a court and answered must elicit the same response each time the same issue is brought before the courts. The principle is observed more strictly in England than in the United States.

What exemplifies the doctrine of stare decisis?

Stare decisis is the doctrine that obligates courts to look to precedent when making their decisions. These two principles allow American law to build case-by-case, and make our legal system a common law system. For example, let's say that Blue borrows Red's lawnmower while Red is on vacation.

What is stare decisis and why is it important and why does the law need to be flexible quizlet?

Why is stare decisis important, and why does the law need to be flexible? Stare decisis is the principle that the Court's decision serves as a precedent for future cases that are similar. It is important because it makes the law predictable.

What is a stare decisis AP Gov?

Stare decisis means “let the decision stand.” Most Supreme Court cases are decided based on this concept - justices rely on previous, related cases and the decisions issued there to guide their rulings. This is called following precedent.

What is the difference between stare decisis and precedent quizlet?

stare decisis means that the last decision on a case should stay and a precedent uses how similar cases were handled in the past to guide current ones.

Why is the doctrine of stare decisis an important part of the common law system?

The reason for the doctrine is that similar cases should be treated alike so as to ensure consistency and certainty in the law. It evolved in the primarily "judge-made" COMMON LAW system of the law and attained its most formal expression in late 19th-century England.

What effect does the common law principle of stare decisis have on the American legal system quizlet?

What effect does the common law principle of stare decisis have on the American legal system? Change occurs slowly, since judges follow prior decisions.

How does stare decisis keep court decisions consistent?

Stare decisis is a Latin term that means “Let the decision stand.” In essence, it's the legal principle that says court rulings on current and future cases should be consistent with the precedents set by previous ones. ... That way, when a similar situation arises in the future, judges can follow a clear precedent.

What is one of the advantages of stare decisis for judicial decision making?

What is one of the advantages of stare decisis for judicial decision making? It frees the Court to monitor closely those decisions that fail to follow precedent or are otherwise unresolved.

How is stare decisis applied in the American legal system?

How Does a Case Become a Binding Precedent? The American case system is based on the principle of stare decisis and the idea that like cases should be decided alike. [1] Each judge, when deciding a matter before him or her, selects the prior cases on which to rely; no external authority designates precedents.

What does the principle of stare decisis imply for Supreme Court jurisprudence?

Stare decisis, which is Latin for “to stand by things decided,”23 is a judicial doctrine under which a court follows the principles, rules, or standards of its prior decisions or decisions of higher tribunals when deciding a case with arguably similar facts.

Why is consistency important in law?

Consistency is an essential characteristic of ethics and the law—inconsistent practice diminishes the prospects of the development of norms of protection and associated practices and institutions. Furthermore, inconsistent practice means that fewer people receive protection from egregious violations of human rights.

Which of the following best explains the principle of stare decisis?

Which of the following best explains the principle of stare decisis? It encourages judges to follow precedent when deciding cases. In Baker v. Carr (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that a state legislature would have to redraw their representative districts in order to comply with the Constitution.

What is the importance of precedent in the development of the law?

The use of precedent has been justified as providing predictability, stability, fairness, and efficiency in the law. Reliance upon precedent contributes predictability to the law because it provides notice of what a person's rights and obligations are in particular circumstances.

What is another term for stare decisis '?

DEFINITIONS1. a principle of case law by which judges have to follow earlier decisions called precedents in certain situations. This Latin phrase means 'stand by the decisions'. This is known as the doctrine of stare decisis.

What is the doctrine of stare decisis PDF?

Stare decisis is the doctrine of precedent. Courts cite to stare decisis when an issue has been previously brought to the court and a ruling already issued. ... Consequently, stare decisis discourages litigating established precedents, and thus, reduces spending.