Stare decisis
Etymology
Latin, shortened from "stare decisis et non quieta movere" — "to stand by things decided and not disturb settled matters." A pillar of common-law systems, it explains why courts are generally reluctant to reverse themselves, and why overturning major precedents is so contested.
noun · /STAIR-ee dih-SY-sis/
The legal principle that courts should follow precedent and stand by previously decided cases.
What it names
The force that gives law stability and predictability, and the pressure point in every fight over whether a landmark ruling should be overturned.
Example
Under stare decisis the lower court felt bound by the earlier ruling, even as one judge argued it had been wrong from the start.
Related idea
The doctrine that turns a single precedent into an ongoing obligation: precedent is the past decision, stare decisis is the duty to keep following it.