precedent, case in point (noun)

an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time

case law, precedent, common law (noun)

(civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions

common law, case law, precedent (noun)

a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws

"common law originated in the unwritten laws of England and was later applied in the United States"

precedent (adj)

a subject mentioned earlier (preceding in time)

precedent (adj)

preceding in time, order, or significance

precedent (Noun)

An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.

precedent (Noun)

A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.

precedent (Noun)

The aforementioned (thing).

precedent (Noun)

The previous version.

precedent (Verb)

To provide precedents for.

precedent (Verb)

To be a precedent for.

precedent (Adjective)

Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.

Precedent

In common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts. The general principle in common law legal systems is that similar cases should be decided so as to give similar and predictable outcomes, and the principle of precedent is the mechanism by which that goal is attained. Black's Law Dictionary defines "precedent" as a "rule of law established for the first time by a court for a particular type of case and thereafter referred to in deciding similar cases." Common law precedent is a third kind of law, on equal footing with statutory law, and regulatory law. Stare decisis is a legal principle by which judges are obliged to respect the precedent established by prior decisions. The words originate from the phrasing of the principle in the Latin maxim Stare decisis et non quieta movere: "to stand by decisions and not disturb the undisturbed." In a legal context, this is understood to mean that courts should generally abide by precedent and not disturb settled matters.

Precedent

A precedent is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts. Common-law legal systems place great value on deciding cases according to consistent principled rules, so that similar facts will yield similar and predictable outcomes, and observance of precedent is the mechanism by which that goal is attained. The principle by which judges are bound to precedents is known as stare decisis (a Latin phrase with the literal meaning of "to stand in the-things-that-have-been-decided"). Common-law precedent is a third kind of law, on equal footing with statutory law (that is, statutes and codes enacted by legislative bodies) and subordinate legislation (that is, regulations promulgated by executive branch agencies, in the form of delegated legislation) in UK parlance – or regulatory law (in US parlance). Case law, in common-law jurisdictions, is the set of decisions of adjudicatory tribunals or other rulings that can be cited as precedent. In most countries, including most European countries, the term is applied to any set of rulings on law, which is guided by previous rulings, for example, previous decisions of a government agency. Essential to the development of case law is the publication and indexing of decisions for use by lawyers, courts, and the general public, in the form of law reports. While all decisions are precedent (though at varying levels of authority as discussed throughout this article), some become "leading cases" or "landmark decisions" that are cited especially often.