What is the role of precedent in jurisprudence law?

In Washington, precedent plays an important role in jurisprudence law. Precedent is the legal principle of following prior decisions that were made in similar cases. It is the body of decisions in the past that are seen as a precedent for deciding contemporary legal issues. When a court hears a case, it often looks to prior decisions to see how similar cases were handled to guide them in their ruling. This is known as stare decisis, or the decision to adhere to previous court decisions. Precedent is particularly important for common law, or a system of law based on prior decisions that are made by judges, rather than in statutes. The doctrine of precedent relies on the notion that predictability, fairness and stability in legal decisions is more important than strict adherence to one decision. This means that judges may find themselves in a situation where they must make a ruling that is slightly different from prior decisions. In this case, they will strive to uphold the spirit of the prior decisions while serving justice in the current case. For example, the Washington Supreme Court may look to prior decisions when ruling on a case involving discrimination in the workplace. In this case, the court may adhere to the thematic element of the prior decisions, such as a focus on employee rights and protection, even if the facts or circumstances are slightly different. In summary, precedent plays an important role in jurisprudence law in Washington by providing guidance on legal decisions and issues. Courts look to prior cases to ensure a consistent interpretation of the law and protect the rights of citizens through an adherence to the spirit of past decisions.

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What is the role of precedent in jurisprudence law?

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