INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Sofia

Judicial Precedent

Coursework
In

Elements of English Law

Student registration No: 101019

Introduction
This is a precedent from an earlier case, which must be followed even if the judge in the later case does not agree with the legal reasoning. A binding precedent is only created when the facts of the second case are sufficiently similar to the original case and the decisions was made by a court which is senior too, or in some cases the same level as, the court hearing the later case.

Precedent that must be applied or followed is known as blinding precedent (alternately metaphorically precedent, mandatory or binding authority, etc.). Under the doctrine of stare decisis, a lower court must honor findings of law made by a higher court that is within the appeals path of cases the court hears. In state and federal courts in the United States of America, jurisdiction is often divided geographically among local trial courts, several of which fall under the territory of a regional appeals court. All appellate courts fall under a highest court (sometimes but not always called a "supreme court").

There are 3 principles: • Ratio decidendi • System of law reporting • Court hierarchy

Ratio decidendi: The Role of Ratio Decidendi in Judicial Precedent Ratio decidendi plays a very important role in judicial precedent as it is the legal principle underlying the decision in a particular case. Therefore, it creates the precedent for future cases and is considered the most important part of a judge's speech. Judicial precedent, which is case law, has been and still is a major source of law in the English system.
Examples:

Methods
“Judicial