stare decisis

noun sta·re de·ci·sis \ ˌster-ē-di-ˈsī-səs , ˌstär- \

|Updated on: 31 Jul 2018

Definition of stare decisis

: a doctrine or policy of following rules or principles laid down in previous judicial decisions unless they contravene the ordinary principles of justice

Recent Examples of stare decisis from the Web

But the third decision is stare decisis - - court precedent and how much the court respects that.

— Fox News, "Political fallout from Scott Pruitt's resignation," 6 July 2018
The issue of preserving Supreme Court precedents, a doctrine known as stare decisis, is certain to play a prominent role in the confirmation process.

— david g. savage, latimes.com, "Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a potential Supreme Court nominee, has defended overturning precedents," 3 July 2018
But one of the concepts that really means a lot in America is stare decisis.

— NBC News, "Meet the Press - July 1, 2018," 1 July 2018
There are decent arguments, rooted in stare decisis, on why a Roberts court would be unwise to overturn Roe—or at least refrain from doing it all at once.

— william mcgurn, WSJ, "Abortion, Roe—and Trump," 2 July 2018
Chief Justice John Roberts has appeared reluctant to overturn precedents – indeed, the stare decisis doctrine of following precedents holds that such action should occur only under unusual circumstances.

— henry gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "With departure of swing vote, a pivotal moment for the Supreme Court," 28 June 2018
The high court has a tradition, known by its Latin name stare decisis, of standing by its previous decisions.

— dino grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Kennedy's retirement could bring a seismic shift to environmental law," 28 June 2018
So, again, the mantle will fall to the chief justice and the question will be whether his loyalty to precedent, to the doctrine of stare decisis, is more pronounced than his ideological leaning.

— andrew cohen, The New Republic, "Anthony Kennedy Was No Moderate," 27 June 2018
Is stare decisis, the fancy word for the law of judicial precedent, that fungible?

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "Supreme Court: Forget What We Said Before About Not Having to Pay Sales Tax Online," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stare decisis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of stare decisis

Latin, to stand by decided matters

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1754

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

Law Dictionary

stare decisis

noun sta·re de·ci·sis \ ˈster-ē-di-ˈsī-sis, ˈstär-ē-; ˈstä-rā-dā-ˈkē-sēs \

legal Definition of stare decisis

: the doctrine under which courts adhere to precedent on questions of law in order to insure certainty, consistency, and stability in the administration of justice with departure from precedent permitted for compelling reasons (as to prevent the perpetuation of injustice)