It means that if a past Judge has made a ruling on a specific situation, such as giving women the right to vote, the next Judge to rule on the case is "obligated", but not bound, to make the same ruling through the doctrine of stare decisis.
This means that the courts can fly through any cases about women voting, because they already know the answer.
Stare decisis (Latin)
The requirement that a lower court must follow a previously set precedent is called stare decisis.
Stare decisis is a doctrine that states that courts need to abide by past controlling judicial decisions. For example, a circuit court is bound by Supreme Court holdings.
stare decisis(NovaNet)
Only the ratio decidendi is accorded stare decisis status. Everything else is obiter dictum.
Stare Decisis
stare decisis
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stare decisis {novanet}
Precedents, under the doctrine of Stare decisis (Latin: Stare decisis et non quieta movere), which means "maintain what has been decided."
stare decisis
Precedents, under the doctrine of stare decisis(Latin: maintain what has been decided).