Ratio Decidendi
Definition of Ratio Decidendi
Note: See a more comprehensive approach to the Ratio Decidendi legal concept in the American Law Encyclopedia
The essential legal basis upon which a judicial decision rests. The ratio decidendi constitutes the principle of law established by the decision. It is this essential core of the decision that becomes a precedent upon which subsequent decisions are to be based. The ratio decidendi is distinguished from obiter dicta, which are statements in a court opinion on matters not essential to the resolution of questions of law. The principle of Stare Decisis (Law of the United States) rests on the idea that courts will embrace the ratio decidendi of a particular decision when a subsequent case involving the same issue comes before it.
See Also
Majority Opinion (Law of the United States) Obiter Dictum (Law of the United States) Precedence (Law of the United States).
Resources
Ratio Decidendi Related Resources
- Ratio Decidendi in the United States Legal Encyclopedia
- Appellate Judicial Process Keywords in the United States Legal Encyclopedia
- Appellate Process Keywords in the International Legal Dictionary
Notes
- “Ratio Decidendi”, The American Law Dictionary, 1991, California
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