Which term describes the legal principle of following precedent?

• A. Stare decisis
• B. Writ of certiorari
• C. Majority opinion
• D. Remand

Answer: (A)

Stare decisis means “to stand by things decided.” It’s the practice in common law systems of following prior court rulings when deciding new cases with similar issues or facts. This creates consistency and predictability in the law, letting people rely on stable rules as cases evolve. Higher courts set binding precedents for lower courts in the same jurisdiction, though courts may distinguish or overturn precedent if needed as circumstances change. The other terms refer to different ideas: a writ of certiorari is a request for a higher court to review a decision, a majority opinion is the main ruling written by the majority, and remand means sending a case back to a lower court for further proceedings. So the term describing the legal principle of following precedent is stare decisis.