Which Latin phrase means 'stand by decided cases' and guides future court decisions?

• A. Stare decisis
• B. Ratio decidendi
• C. Res judicata
• D. Habeas corpus

Answer: (A)

Stare decisis means “to stand by decided cases,” and it drives how courts handle future disputes by following established precedent. In a common law system, past rulings create rules that guide later decisions in similar situations, which helps keep the law stable and predictable. The part of a court’s decision that actually supplies the rule used in later cases is called the ratio decidendi, the reasoning that becomes binding in future cases; stare decisis is the broader principle that courts should generally adhere to those past decisions. Other Latin terms have different roles: ratio decidendi is the specific rule or rationale that supports a decision, res judicata refers to a matter that has already been finally decided and can’t be relitigated, and habeas corpus is a legal remedy used to challenge unlawful detention. So, the phrase that best fits the idea of guiding future court decisions by standing by decided cases is stare decisis.