Certified Legal Assistant Certified Paralegal (CLA-CP) Practice Test 2025 - Free Paralegal Practice Questions and Study Guide

Stare decisis is a legal principle that dictates that courts must follow the precedents established by previous decisions when the same points arise in litigation. This helps maintain consistency and stability in the law. Hence, it significantly affects how law evolves over time by anchoring judicial decisions to established legal precedents.

Because of stare decisis, while courts can technically overrule previous decisions, doing so is generally approached with caution and usually only occurs when there is a strong justification. This restraint can inhibit drastic changes to existing law, as the judiciary is often bound to follow prior rulings unless compelling reasons exist to deviate from them.

This principle ensures that the law is not frequently subject to change based on varying judicial interpretations, thus reinforcing the predictability and reliability of legal outcomes for individuals and entities. While adaptations to the law do occur, they often take place gradually and rely upon the accumulation of a robust body of precedent rather than sweeping changes.