REPRODUCED HEREIN BELOW AN ARTICLE APPEARED IN ACADEMICIA. PUBLISHED FOR EDUCATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. THIS REPRODUCTION DOES NOT IN ANYWAY IMPLY NOR DOES IT SUGGEST THAT THOSE WHO DECIDE ON THE MERITS OF CASES DO NOT KNOW OR CARE FOR THESE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. Stare Decisis Stare decisis (Latin: [ˈstaːre deːˈt͡s 1 iːsiːs], Anglicisation: [ˈsteɹɪ dɪˈsaɪsɪs]) is the legal principle by which judges are obliged to respect the precedents established by prior decisions. The words originate from the phrasing of the principle in the Latin maxim Stare decisis et non quieta movere : “to stand by decisions and not disturb the undisturbed.” In a legal context, this is understood to mean that courts should generally abide by precedents and not disturb settled matters. Precedents as a source of law On May 7, 2015 By Neerja Gurnani By Priyan Garg, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh Editor’s note: The judiciary adjudicates the rights and obligations