Precedent Quotes

“The doctrine of precedent is not a straitjacket. A court, and especially a final court of appeal, is not bound by its own previous decisions.”

“I believe in precedents, I believe in following them. That is the essence of the rule of law.”

“How long soever it hath continued, if it be against reason, it is of no force in law.”

“Precedent must be followed only so far as it marks the path of justice.”

“All bad precedents begin as justifiable measures.”

“One precedent creates another. They soon accumulate and constitute law. What yesterday was fact, today is doctrine.”

“As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without a trial or hearing. I would like to see the government admit they were wrong and do something about it, so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed or color.”

“While it is true that the court has the power to and does overrule its own decisions, we should do so only with the greatest of caution.”

“The Court has been wrong before and it can be wrong again. This is not a matter of settled law.”

“Stare decisis is not a straitjacket, but it is a very important part of the rule of law.”