Stare decisis means that

• A. The practice of following prior decisions to maintain consistency.
• B. Courts should always overturn prior decisions.
• C. Legislatures should revise statutes regularly.
• D. Judges should decide cases without considering past rulings.

Answer: (A)

Stare decisis is the practice of following prior decisions to maintain consistency in how the law is applied. By relying on established rulings for similar facts, courts provide predictability and fairness: people and institutions can reasonably expect how rules will be interpreted because the law isn’t applied case by case in isolation. This principle keeps the judiciary guided by doctrine rather than personal whim, helping ensure equal treatment across cases.

It doesn’t require overturning past decisions; in fact, it favors preserving them unless there’s a compelling reason to revisit—such as a clear error, new legal developments, or shifts in societal values. It isn’t about legislatures revising statutes, either, since that’s a legislative function. And judges do weigh past rulings when deciding current cases, applying the established rules or distinguishing a case on facts that don’t fit the precedent.