what is stare decisis 
stare decisis is a legal doctrine that obligates courts to follow historical cases when making a ruling on a similar case stare decisis ensures that cases with similar scenarios and facts are approached in the same way simply put it binds courts to follow legal precedents set by previous decisions 1stare decisis is a latin term meaning to stand by that which is decided 1understanding stare decisisthe u s common law structure has a unified system of deciding legal matters with the principle of stare decisis at its core making the concept of legal precedent extremely important a prior ruling or judgment on any case is known as a precedent stare decisis dictates that courts look to precedents when overseeing an ongoing case with similar circumstances investopedia nez riaz