Common Law Explained

What’s inside

• What is the central principle behind the doctrine of stare decisis in the UK common-law system?
• The binding part of a judicial decision is generally known as the ratio decidendi.
• Which statement best describes the relationship between common law and legislation in the UK?
• What is the usual legal status of obiter dicta in a judgment?
• In the UK court hierarchy, a lower court is generally bound by a relevant decision of a higher court.
• Which development most clearly distinguishes equity from the traditional common law?
• A court may distinguish an earlier precedent when the material facts of the current case are sufficiently different.
• Which court is generally the highest appellate court for UK civil and criminal cases and can depart from its own…