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
- Trending Now: More Trending:
- asylum insubordinate promulgate epochal clemency
- ALL
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
Recent Examples of stare decisis from the Web
-
The court usually adheres to the principle of stare decisis, or adhering to its earlier decisions.
-
There’s also a doctrinal discussion about whether the Supreme Court cares or not about stare decisis, or its tradition of adhering to and reaffirming its own precedents.
-
An optimist might speculate that the chief justice, who cares deeply about the court’s institutional legitimacy, would uphold the decision as a matter of stare decisis.
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
Other Legal Terms
Law Dictionary
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)
Origin and Etymology of stare decisis
New Latin, to stand by things that have been settled
Learn More about stare decisis
-
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stare decisis
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up stare decisis? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
