precedent

{
  "id": "MLC-T-LAW-000174",
  "term": "precedent",
  "field": "Law",
  "definition": "A court decision in an earlier case with facts and legal issues similar to a dispute currently before a court. Judges will generally \"follow precedent\" - meaning that they use the principles established in earlier cases to decide new cases that have similar facts and raise similar legal issues. A judge will disregard precedent if a party can show that the earlier case was wrongly decided, or that it differed in some significant way from the current case.",
  "references": [
    "U.S. Courts Glossary of Legal Terms"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/law/precedent/"
}