stare decisis

noun

sta·re de·ci·sis | \ ˌster-ē-di-ˈsī-səs

, ˌstär-\

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

Examples of stare decisis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When the day comes that the Court reconsiders Roe, the justices will no doubt take seriously the arguments from stare decisis for leaving it be. — William Mcgurn, WSJ, "Destroying Brett Kavanaugh," 1 Oct. 2018 The reason is the power of stare decisis (or precedent), and how conservatives view the role of the Court in supporting the credibility of the law. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Are Democrats Crying Wolf on Threat to Abortion Rights?," 3 July 2018 In deciding whether to respect stare decisis and follow a precedent deemed wrongly decided, justices apply standards that can appear wobbly and uncertain. — Walter Olson, WSJ, "Gay Marriage Is Here to Stay, Even With a Conservative Court," 8 July 2018 Its roots in the Constitution give the concept of stare decisis greater weight simply because a judge might want to on a whim. — Stavros Agorakis, Vox, "Read the full transcript of Sen. Collins’s speech announcing she’ll vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh," 5 Oct. 2018 Most judicial nominees voice respect for stare decisis during confirmation hearings. — David G. Savage, latimes.com, "Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a potential Supreme Court nominee, has defended overturning precedents," 3 July 2018 The reason is the power of stare decisis, or precedent, and how conservatives view the role of the Court in supporting the credibility of the law. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Abortion Scare Campaign," 2 July 2018 That would require quite a challenge to the doctrine of stare decisis, or the binding nature of constitutional precedents, which becomes more important as such precedents are allowed to stand. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Steps the Next Supreme Court Might Take to Roll Back Abortion Rights," 27 June 2018 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

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about stare decisis

Dictionary Entries near stare decisis

stare/gaze (off) into space

stare out

Statistics for stare decisis

Last Updated

13 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for stare decisis

The first known use of stare decisis was in 1754

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for stare decisis

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)