Cornell Law School
law.cornell.edu › lii › wex › stare decisis
stare decisis | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
The previous deciding-court must have binding authority over the court; otherwise, the previous decision is merely persuasive authority. In Kimble v. Marvel Enterprises, the U.S. Supreme Court described the rationale behind stare decisis as “promot[ing] the evenhanded, predictable, and consistent development of legal principles, foster[ing] reliance on judicial decisions, and contribut[ing] to the actual and perceived integrity of the judicial process.”
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Congress.gov
constitution.congress.gov › browse › essay › artIII-S1-7-2-2 › ALDE_00013237
Stare Decisis Doctrine Generally | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
See Fallon, supra note 1, at 570 (If a court believes a prior decision to be correct, it can reaffirm that decision on the merits without reference to stare decisis.). Instead, while the Court has stated that its precedents are entitled to respect and deference,4Footnote See, e.g., Citizens United v. Fed. Election Comm’n, 558 U.S. 310, 362 (2010) (Our precedent is to be respected unless the most convincing of reasons demonstrates that adherence to it puts us on a course that is sure error.). the Court considers the principle of stare decisis to be a discretionary principle of policy to be weighed and balanced along with the Court’s views about a prior decision’s merits, along with several pragmatic considerations, when determining whether to retain precedent in interpreting the Constitution5Footnote Michael J.
Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › stare decisis
STARE DECISIS Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
May 13, 2026 - The meaning of STARE DECISIS is a doctrine or policy of following rules or principles laid down in previous judicial decisions unless they contravene the ordinary principles of justice.
Federal Judicial Center
fjc.gov › sites › default › files › 2012 › StareDec.pdf pdf
Education and Training Series Stare Decisis ® Federal Judicial Center FJC
Stare decisis is at · least the everyday working rule of our law. In the application of a precedent, the jurist · must determine the authority of the precedent. Is the · authority binding, or is it merely persuasive? If it · is binding, the principle established in the prior case ·
Lee Epstein
epstein.wustl.edu › staredecisis
The Norm of Stare Decisis — Lee Epstein
Results: Since the data support our account of stare decisis as a norm that structures judicial decisions, we question research designs that focus solely on how precedent affects the disposition of cases.
United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
armfor.uscourts.gov › digest › VG5.htm
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS: Judicial Review: Stare Decisis
United States v. Mangahas, 77 M.J. 220 (courts do not lightly overrule precedent, but stare decisis is a principle of decision making, not a rule, and need not be applied when the precedent at issue is badly reasoned). ... United States v. Quick, 74 M.J. 332 (the doctrine of stare decisis is most compelling where courts undertake statutory construction).
Widener Law Commonwealth
scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu › wlulr › vol67 › iss2 › 2
"Stare Decisis as Judicial Doctrine" by Randy J. Kozel
Stare decisis has been called many things, among them "~a principle of policy, " "a series ofprudential and pragmatic considerations, " and simply "the preferred course. " Often overlooked is the fact that stare decisis is also a judicial doctrine, an analytical system used to guide the rules of decision for resolving concrete disputes that come before the courts.
Congress.gov
constitution.congress.gov › browse › essay › artIII-S1-7-2-1 › ALDE_00001187
Historical Background on Stare Decisis Doctrine | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Stare decisis, Latin for to stand by things decided,1Footnote The full Latin phrase is stare decisis et non quieta movere—stand by the thing decided and do not disturb the calm.
Congress.gov
constitution.congress.gov › browse › essay › artIII-S1-7-2-3 › ALDE_00013238
Stare Decisis Factors | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Finally, the Supreme Court may consider whether it should retain a precedent, even if flawed, because overruling the decision would result in hardship to individuals, companies, or organizations;7Footnote See, e.g., Payne v. Tennessee, 501 U.S. 808, 828 (1991) (Considerations in favor of stare decisis are at their acme in cases involving property and contract rights, where reliance interests are involved .
Harvard Law Review
harvardlawreview.org › harvard law review › topics
Stare Decisis - Harvard Law Review
Vol. 136 No. 7 May 2023 Abstract Our system of stare decisis enables and encourages people to rely on judicial decisions to form expectations about their legal rights and duties...
Gwu
gwipp.gwu.edu › collaborative-research-establishment-stare-decisis-american-legal-system
Collaborative Research: The Establishment of Stare Decisis in ...
Scholars, judges, and lawyers commonly recognize that stare decisis, the rule that judges follow the rulings in previously decided court opinions
Nycourts
askalawlibrarian.nycourts.gov › legalresearch › faq › 274664
What is legal precedent? What is stare decisis? - Ask a Law Librarian
April 13, 2026 - You must use a citation service as part of your legal research because New York courts follow the doctrine of stare decisis.
Nevada Law Journal
scholars.law.unlv.edu › cgi › viewcontent.cgi pdf
STARE DECISIS IN THE INFERIOR COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES Joseph W. Mead*
Court’s decision,25 and in cases interpreting procedural rules where reliance ... Court’s practices. 24 Montejo v. Louisiana, 129 S. Ct. 2079, 2088–89 (2009). 25 Ill. Brick Co. v. Illinois, 431 U.S. 720, 736 (1977) (“[W]e must bear in mind that consid- erations of stare decisis weigh heavily in the area of statutory construction, where Congress
Pacific Legal Foundation
pacificlegal.org › blog › issues › separation of powers › stare decisis: an explainer
Stare decisis: an explainer
July 6, 2018 - The news of an opening at the Supreme Court of the United States forces all Americans to re-acquaint themselves with the Latin term “stare decisis.” The term, which roughly translated means ‘let the decision stand,’ re-appears in the ...
Auburn University
auburn.edu › ~johnspm › gloss › stare_decisis
Stare decisis
Literally, "Let the decision stand." The policy or practice of judges to abide by the legal rules or principles already established in earlier cases of the same sort.
Marquette Law School
scholarship.law.marquette.edu › cgi › viewcontent.cgi pdf
Stare Decisis
The origin of the doctrine of stare decisis is lost in antiquity.