Stare Decisis Explained

Stare decisis, Latin for to stand by things decided, is the doctrine that precedent binds future courts. The Supreme Court follows its own precedents unless they prove unworkable or badly wrong, a high bar designed to keep the law stable and predictable.

Yet the Court has overruled itself hundreds of times in its history. Plessy gave way to Brown, Lochner yielded to New Deal era cases, and Dobbs discarded Roe.

Justices weigh the age of the precedent, reliance interests, workability, and doctrinal change. Justice Brandeis observed that in most matters it is more important that law be settled than that it be settled right..