when is a judge obliged to follow the decision laid down in another court
Precedent
In common law legal systems , a precedent , or authority , is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts . Common law legal systems place great value on deciding cases according to consistent principled rules so that similar facts will yield similar and predictable outcomes , and observance of precedent is the mechanism by which that goal is attained . The principle by which judges are bound to precedents is known as stare decisis . Black 's Law Dictionary defines `` precedent '' as a `` rule of law established for the first time by a court for a particular type of case and thereafter referred to in deciding similar cases '' . Common law precedent is a third kind of law , on equal footing with statutory law ( statutes and codes enacted by legislative bodies ) , and delegated legislation ( in U.K. parlance ) or regulatory law ( in U.S. parlance ) ( regulations promulgated by executive branch agencies ) . 
In common law legal systems , a precedent , or authority , is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts . Common law legal systems place great value on deciding cases according to consistent principled rules so that similar facts will yield similar and predictable outcomes , and observance of precedent is the mechanism by which that goal is attained . The principle by which judges are bound to precedents is known as stare decisis . Black 's Law Dictionary defines `` precedent '' as a `` rule of law established for the first time by a court for a particular type of case and thereafter referred to in deciding similar cases '' . Common law precedent is a third kind of law , on equal footing with statutory law ( statutes and codes enacted by legislative bodies ) , and delegated legislation ( in U.K. parlance ) or regulatory law ( in U.S. parlance ) ( regulations promulgated by executive branch agencies ) .
In common law legal systems, a precedent, or authority, is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts.  The principle by which judges are bound to precedents is known as stare decisis.
In common law legal systems , a precedent , or authority , is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts . The principle by which judges are bound to precedents is known as stare decisis .