What does the doctrine of stare decisis mean?

• A. The obligation to decide cases quickly
• B. The principle of following precedent in court decisions
• C. The requirement to publish opinions in Latin
• D. The rule that the Supreme Court can overrule itself

Answer: (B)

Stare decisis means standing by decided cases and following prior rulings when deciding new cases with similar issues. This keeps the law stable and predictable so people, businesses, and governments can rely on how issues have been interpreted in the past. In practice, it lets higher courts’ decisions guide lower courts within the same jurisdiction, shaping how statutes and constitutional questions are understood. The doctrine also allows for reasonable change over time: a court may overrule a past decision or distinguish the facts if the circumstances differ, but the default is to adhere to established rulings rather than start from scratch. The other options don’t fit because they describe speed of decisions, publication language, or a blanket ability of the Supreme Court to overrule itself, none of which capture the idea of relying on precedent to govern current rulings.