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.
Synonyms and related words
Foreign legal terms
ab initio
actus reus
a fortiori
stare decisis
noun uncountable legal
US /ˌstɑreɪ dɪˈsisɪs/
DEFINITIONS1
1
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.”