What is a precedent doctrine?
Precedent refers to a court decision that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal issues. Precedent is incorporated into the doctrine of stare decisis and requires courts to apply the law in the same manner to cases with the same facts.
What is the doctrine of precedent in South Africa?
Previous judicial decisions therefore constitute law and the way in which the law was applied there is authoritative. The reason for this lies in the system of judicial precedent, also called the doctrine of stare decisis, which applies in South Africa.

What is another name for doctrine of precedent?
The doctrine of precedent determines the relative weight to be accorded to the different cases. Also called stare decisis: ‘to stand on what has been decided’. AND to cases interpreting statutes. Each court is bound by decisions of courts higher in the same hierarchy.
Is precedent a rule of law?
A precedent is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive without going to courts for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts.
What is the doctrine of precedent and why is it important?
The doctrine of precedent is the fundamental basis of the law applied by the judiciary, which specifies that a court should apply the rulings of previous cases in situations where the facts are the same.

What are the key features of the doctrine of precedent?
Some of the rules that make up the doctrine of precedent are:
- a judge follows the law declared by judges in higher courts in the same jurisdiction in cases with similar facts.
- a court must give reasons for its decision in a case.
- most courts are not bound to follow their own earlier decisions although they often do.
How do you use doctrine of precedent?
According to the doctrine of precedent a court is bound by the decisions of a court above it and, usually, by a court of equivalent standing. Superior courts have the power to overrule decisions of lower courts and in certain cases to overrule their own decisions.
What are the key principles of the doctrine of precedent?
The ‘doctrine of precedent’ is the rule that a legal principle that has been established by a superior court should be followed in other similar cases by that court and other courts.
What is precedent in law PDF?
LAW OF PRECEDENTS. A precedent is a previous instance or case which furnishes an example or rule for subsequent conduct, and a pattern upon which subsequent conduct is based. – Dias, Jurisprudence, 2nd Edn.
What is the doctrine of precedent and identify the reasons why it was adopted in English law?
The doctrine of precedent refers that the legal decisions made by judges in higher courts are remained as a precedent, so the decisions made by lower or equal courts in future are needed to be followed the earlier decision made in the higher courts.
What are 3 of the General Rules of the principles of precedent?
Binding precedent
- It must come from a higher court.
- It must come from the same court hierarchy.
- The facts of the precedent setting case must be significantly similar to the case at hand.
What were Washington’s 4 precedents?
The First American President: Setting the Precedent
- Appointing Judges.
- Ceremonial purposes.
- Chief foreign diplomat.
- Chooses a Cabinet.
- Commander in Chief of the Military.
- Mr.
- No lifetime appointment.
What were two key precedents established by George?
George Washington established precedents for the executive office that have since become customary practice. Washington is responsible for establishing the tradition of the inaugural address and the cabinet system, neither prescribed by the Constitution.
What are the types of precedent?
Types of Judicial Precedent
- Declaratory and Original Precedents. As John William Salmon explained, a declaratory precedent is one where there is only application of an already existing rule in a legal matter.
- Persuasive Precedents.
- Absolutely Authoritative Precedents.
- Conditionally Authoritative Precedents.
What are the main features of doctrine of precedent?
What are the two kinds of precedent?
There are two rules that apply to the doctrine of judicial precedents:
What are 4 precedents set by George Washington?
The list below represents some of the major things Washington did first as president that established a precedent for future leaders of the position.
- Appointing Judges.
- Ceremonial purposes.
- Chief foreign diplomat.
- Chooses a Cabinet.
- Commander in Chief of the Military.
- Mr.
- No lifetime appointment.
What is George Washington’s precedents?
What are the essential elements of precedent?
Thus it can be inferred that precedents are:
- Guidance or authority of past decisions for future cases.
- Precedents must be reported, maybe cited and may probably be followed by courts.
- Precedents must have opinio-juris.
- These must be followed widely for a long time and must not violate any existing statue law.
What were George Washington’s 3 precedents?
How did Washington set precedents?
Washington made the office of the presidency powerful by appointing a cabinet and proposing major legislation to Congress. But at the same time he defined practices that emphasized the republican character of the position.