Precedent
The principle that courts are bound to follow legal principles established by higher courts in earlier decisions (stare decisis).
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Precedent operates within a defined court hierarchy that channels appeals upward. In criminal matters, cases start in the Magistrates' Court, with more serious matters sent to the Crown Court; appeals then go to the Court of Appeal Criminal Division and potentially the UK Supreme Court. In civil matters, cases usually start in the County Court, with appeals going to the High Court and then the Court of Appeal, before a possible further appeal to the Supreme Court.
As the final court of appeal for all UK civil cases and for criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Supreme Court sits at the top of that hierarchy, and its own stated role is to act as 'a leader in the common law world' rather than simply resolving the individual dispute before it.
Related terms
Official sources
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