What is stare decisis?
Stare Decisis is a Latin phrase which translates into “to stand by that which is decided. When a court makes a decision, it establishes a precedent which is used by subsequent courts in their deliberations. In so doing, they are applying the legal doctrine of ‘stare decisis’, which is one of the most important doctrines in Western law. Stare Decisis is the principle that is followed in common law. Common law is made by judges when they apply previous court decisions to current cases. This means it is based on the judicial interpretation of previous laws, leading to a common understand of how a law should be interpreted.
