Stare decisis is a legal principle which dictates that courts cannot disregard a determined standard and must uphold prior decisions when ruling on future cases. S tare decisis is the policy of the court to stand by precedent. It literally means "to stand by decided matters". The doctrine of precedent refers to the doctrine that the court is to follow judicial decisions in earlier cases, when the same questions or points are raised before it in subsequent matters. The precedent has great authority but in certain circumstances, courts are bound by previously decided cases. Thus, what a court really does is to apply principles or decision laid down in the past
