Which option best captures the purpose of precedent?

• A. To provide a rule or principle from a prior case to guide future decisions.
• B. To create new statutes for every case.
• C. To define procedural steps for trials.
• D. To establish executive powers.

Answer: (D)

Precedent works by carrying forward a rule or principle from a prior decision to guide how similar disputes are decided in the future. This is the idea behind stare decisis: courts rely on established rulings to promote consistency, fairness, and predictability. When a prior case sets out a rule, judges apply that same rule to new cases with comparable facts, adapting only as needed to reflect differences in the situation while preserving the underlying reasoning.

Precedent does not create new laws or statutes; those come from the legislature. It also does not lay out procedural steps for how trials are conducted—that framework comes from rules of procedure and evidence. And while precedent can influence how constitutional powers are interpreted, it does not by itself establish executive powers. The primary purpose, instead, is to provide a usable rule or principle from a past decision to guide future judicial reasoning.