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Judicial Precedent Flashcards

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1
Q

What Latin saying is this source of law based on

A

‘Stare decisis’- stand by decisions of past cases

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2
Q

law reports

A

Law reports: needed to publicise judgement and to ensure that there is an accurate and authorised record of the reasons for the decisions (must be authorised by the judge in the case)

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3
Q

Three examples of law reports

A

The weekly law reports
The all England law reports
LexisNexis

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4
Q

ratio and obiter- mmehtod of what?

A

A method of identifying the parts of a judgment which bind a future judge from the other parts which need not be followed

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5
Q

ratio

A

Ratio decidendi

  • in a judgement, the judge will explain the principles of law he used to decide why a particular party won
  • principles are known as ratio decidendi (reason for deciding)
  • ratio creates binding precedent for judges to follow in later similar cases
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6
Q

Give an example of a ratio in a binding principle

A

HOWE (1987): that duress cannot be a defence to murder as you should not be able to choose to kill an innocent person to save your own life

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7
Q

obiter

A

Obiter dicta:

  • all other points of law that are not ratio are called orbiter dicta
  • not essential to outcome of the particular case and are often discussions in hypothetical situations
  • no obiter forms part of the case law, it’s not binding
  • judges in later similar cases may be persuaded to follow it in reaching a decision
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8
Q

Name an example of obiter dicta

A

The comment in HOWE (1987): a murder case, that duress could not be a defence to the crime of attempted murder

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9
Q

court hierachy

A

Court hierarchy:

  • so that judge knows who they should follow
  • Every court bound to follow a relevant decision made by a court above it in hierarchy
  • appellate courts bound by their own past decisions
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10
Q

Criminal court hierarchy

A

Magistrates> crown> high> court of appeal (criminal division)> Supreme Court

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11
Q

Civil court hierarchy

A

Tribunals> county> high> court of appeal (civil division)> Supreme Court

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12
Q

Name of the most senior national court

A

Supreme Court

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13
Q

Who must follow the supreme courts decisions

A

All other courts in the English legal system

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14
Q

Is the Supreme Court bound to follow its own past decisions

A

Usually yes

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15
Q

When does SC hear appeals

A

In both civil and criminal cases when a legal principle of general public importance is involved

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16
Q

What are the two divisions in the court of appeal

A

Civil and criminal

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17
Q

Which court are both divisions of the court of appeal bound by

A

The Supreme Court- only persuasive in relation to each other

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18
Q

Is the court of appeal bound to follow its own past decisions

A

Yes

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19
Q

Who’s decisions are the high court bound by

A

All the courts above it in the hierarchy

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20
Q

Who does the high court bind

A

It minds the lower courts

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21
Q

Do high courts have to follow each others decisions

A

No but they usually do

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22
Q

Who’s decisions must the crown, county and magistrates court follow

A

By all higher courts. Don’t usually create precedents themselves

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23
Q

What is a persuasive precedent

A

One which the court will consider and may be persuaded by, does not have to be followed

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24
Q

Name one source that persuasive precedent comes from

A

Courts lower in the hierarchy hearing the appeal
Eg. R V R where House of Lords persuaded to follow same reasoning as court of appeal in deciding that a man could be guilty of raping his wife

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25
Q

Name another source that persuasive precedent comes from (not hierarchy)

A

Statements made from obiter dicta
Eg. R V Howe duress couldn’t be a defence to the crime of attempted murder. Persuasive precedent followed in later case of R v Gotts

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26
Q

What does following a precedent involve

A

Applying the same legal principle from an earlier case to a present case because the material facts are the same and the precedent was set by higher/same court

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27
Q

Two reasons why courts would want to avoid binding precedent

A

Case law can be developed and injustice in an individual case avoided

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28
Q

overruling

A

Overruling
Where a precedent set by a lower court is said by a higher court hearing a separate case to have been wrong
Earlier case ceases to be a precedent for any point of law
Some appellate courts can overrule their own precedents

29
Q

Which statement states that the Supreme Court can overrule its own precedents

A

Practice statement 1966 ‘when it appears right to do so’

30
Q

Examples of when the Supreme Court overruled its own precedents

A

Herrington v British railways board

R v shivpuri

31
Q

Herrington V British railways board

A

Boy aged 6 trespassed on railway line and was severely injured
Able to get on railway because railway board hasn’t maintained fence properly
Earlier case of Addie v dumbeck: decided there was no duty of care to maintain fencing where trespasser was a child
Herrington: House of Lords used practice statement to overrule 1929 precedent because of changed attitude of society towards child trespassers
Railway board owed duty of care to child tresspassers and was liable

32
Q

R v shivpuri

A

Defendant arrested by customs officers and confessed to having heroin in his luggage
Heroin was in fact ground cabbage
Earlier case of Anderson V Ryan it had been help that you couldn’t be guilty of attempting something that was impossible on the acts
Court in shivpuri held that Anderson had been wrongly decided and overruled it to correct mistake

33
Q

What case meant that h/l held that the court of appeal must follow its own past decisions unless it could overrule itself

A

Davis V Johnson

34
Q

In what case are the 3 exceptions stated where Court of appeal can overrule itself

A

Young V Bristol Aeroplane

35
Q

What are the exceptions that mean the court of appeal can overrule itself

A
  • may choose between two conflicting precedents of its own. Once it has chosen it can’t go back on choice
  • where there is a decision of the Supreme Court which by implication overruled a court of appeal decision, court of appeal must follow Supreme Court
  • not bound made by its own precedents made per incuriam
36
Q

What does per incuriam mean

A

In error

37
Q

When does distinguishing occur

A

When a court of any level finds a difference in the material facts between the case it is hearing and a precedent

38
Q

What may the court do in response to distinugising

A

Refuse to follow the precedent

39
Q

What does distinguishing allow

A

Precedent to remain flexible and allow case law to develop

40
Q

Cases where distinguishing occurred:

A

Balfour V Balfour

Merritt V Merritt

41
Q

Balfour v Balfour

A
  • Mr B agreed to pay living expenses to his wife while she was ill in this country and he was forced to work abroad
  • they separated and he stopped payments
  • decided that a claim by the wife for breach of contract shouldn’t succeed because there was no intention to create legally binding promises and thus no contract
42
Q

Merritt V Merritt

A
  • also involved wife suing husband for breach of contract
  • successful this time because court heard that material facts of the two cases were different
  • agreement to pay maintenance made after couple had separated
  • agreement made in writing unlike Balfour
  • agreement in Merritt was a contract because there was an intention to create legally binding promises
43
Q

What is disapproving

A

Where a judge states in his/her judgement that he/she believed that the decision in an earlier case is wrong but it is not directly relevant to the case they’re deciding

44
Q

Is ratio binding or persuasive

A

Binding

45
Q

Is obiter binding or persuasive

A

Persuasive

46
Q

Where are cases recorded

A

Law reports

47
Q

Who are cases recorded by

A

Specialist lawyers

48
Q

Three pieces of information that are found in a written judgement

A
  • facts
  • decision
  • reason for decision
49
Q

U.K. Supreme Court is usually bound by

A

It’s own past decisions

50
Q

When can the criminal division refuse to follow a precedent of its own

A

If the judges in the earlier case have misapplied/misunderstood the law and life/liberty is at stake

51
Q

Which case did the criminal division refuse to follow a precedent of its own in

A

R V Taylor

52
Q

Why does this extra exception exist

A

People’s freedom is involved in criminal cases so more flexibility to develop the law is needed to avoid injustice

53
Q

Advantages of judicial precedent: creates certainty in the law which allows lawyers to…

A

Advise clients on the probably outcome of a case; citizens know what the law is; and businesses can operate knowing that financial arrangements are recognised by law

54
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: Counter argument to “creates certainty in the law…”

A
  • can be considered too rigid because bad decisions are difficult to change and the law is slow to develop
  • court hierarchy means bad decisions cannot be changed unless they’re made by a higher court-overrule
  • whether a case gets to higher court may be a lottery based on lawyers advice and availability of funding
55
Q

A case that demonstrates that precedent is too rigid

A

It was not until 1991 that case of R v R overruled the precedent that stated a man who forced his wife to have sex cannot be convicted of rape

56
Q

Advantages of judicial precedent: degree of flexibility to correct bad decisions. Supreme Court can use the…

A

*practice statement to overrule bad decisions

57
Q

Advantages of judicial precedent: cases that demonstrate degree of flexibility

A
  • shivpuri when Anderton overruled

* addie v dumbreck overruled in Herrington v brb to allow law to develop with social change

58
Q

Advantages of judicial precedent: degree of flexibility

What case contains the rules that the court of appeal has to follow to overrule its own decisions?

A

Young V Bristol aeroplane

59
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: case law is retrospective so overruling a case can make…

A

*someone liable for something that wasn’t a crime when they did it

60
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: case law is retrospective so overruling a case can make…

A case that this happened in:

A

R v R: husband made liable for attempted rape of his wife

At the time he had sex without her consent the case law stated clearly that this was not a crime

61
Q

Advantages of judicial precedent: ability to distinguish cases

As happened in…

A

Merritt V Merritt: also gives judges flexibility to avoid inappropriate case

62
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: distinguishing has been criticised because…

A

Judges may suggest trivial/illogical distinctions just to avoid precedents they don’t like

63
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: Judges may suggest trivial/illogical distinctions just to avoid precedents they don’t like, this can make law…

A

Very complex

64
Q

Advantages of judicial precedent: decisions are based of real cases which means…

A

There are already examples of how the law should be applied in many situations.

65
Q

Advantages of judicial precedent: There are already examples of how the law should be applied in many situations. As a result…

A

Fewer cases will need to go to court for a decision

66
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: large number of reported cases which can make it difficult to…

A

Find the relevant law, even with computerised databases

67
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: there is also the problem of finding the ratio decedendi which forms the binding precedent because…

A

Each judge in a case give their own judgement and they may disagree on the reason for decision

68
Q

Disadvantages of judicial precedent: there is also the problem of finding the ratio decedendi which forms the binding precedent because…

What case did this happen in

A

Dodds case: court of appeal said they were unable to find ratio of a House of Lords decision

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