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PROJECT ON
Original and declaratory theory of precedent
SUBMITTED TO: M!"n#$riti Mihra
%&"CU'T( O& J#ripr#dence)
SUBMITTED B(: Nir*i$alp Sh#$la
RO'' NO!: +,-SEMESTER: .I
SECTION: C
D"TE O& SUBMISSION: ,/0,/01,+2
3ID"("TU''"3 N"TION"' '"4 UNI.ERSIT(5 R"IPUR
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Acknowledgements
First & foremost, I take this opportunity to thank Ms.Anukriti Mishra, Faculty
Jurisprudence, !"#, for allotting me this challenging topic to $ork on. %he has een
'ery kind in pro'iding inputs for this $ork, y $ay of suggestions.
I $ould also like to thank my dear colleagues and friends in the #ni'ersity, $ho ha'e
helped me $ith ideas aout this $ork. "ast, ut not the least I thank the #ni'ersity
Administration for e(uipping the #ni'ersity $ith such good lirary and I.). facilities,
$ithout $hich, no dout this $ork $ould not ha'e taken this shape in correct time.
Nir*i$alp Sh#$la
Se6eter0.I5 Batch07I
Roll no0+,-
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ABBREVIATIONS USED
+.g..+ampli ratia+d...+dition
/rs.../thers
pPage !umer
$$$..0orld 0ide 0e
CONTENTS
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+! Introd#ction88!!888888!!!8888888888888888!!,2
1! 4hat i precedent9!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,
;! I6portance of precedent8888!!!888!88888888!!88!8!!!!,<
/! Type of precedent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,=
-! E>tent of ?inding88888888!!!888888888888888+1
2! 4hat i ?inding:The ratio decidendi 888888888888888!!+/
! Original and declaratory precedent8888888888888888!+
=! Reference8888888888!8888888888888888!!1,
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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)his pro3ect $ork is descripti'e & analytical in approach. It is largely ased on secondary
& electronic sources of data. 4ooks & other references as guided y faculty of
Jurisprudence , are primarily helpful for the completion of this pro3ect.
OBECTIVES O! THIS "ROECT
5arious o3ecti'es are to e achie'ed y this pro3ect6 $hich are mentioned elo$.
)o understand and analy7e the 8eclaratory and /riginal theories of precedent
)o understand the role played y Precedent as a source of la$.
Int#od$ct%on
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In common la$ legal systems, a precedent or a#thority is a principle or rule estalished
in a pre'ious legal case that is either inding on or persuasi'e for a court or other triunal
$hen deciding suse(uent cases $ith similar issues or facts. )he general principle
in common la$ legal systems is that similar cases should e decided so as to gi'e similar
and predictale outcomes, and the principle of precedent is the mechanism y $hich that
goal is attained. 4lack:s "a$ 8ictionary defines ;precedent; as a ;rule of la$ estalished
for the first time y a court for a particular type of case and thereafter referred to in
deciding similar cases.;1 .
Stare decisis is a legal principle y $hich 3udges are oliged to respect the precedent
estalished y prior decisions. )he $ords originate from the phrasing of the principle in
the "atin maim Stare decisis et non quieta movere? ;to stand y decisions and not
distur the undistured.; In a legal contet, this is understood to mean that courts should
generally aide y precedent and not distur settled matters.
Cae la@ is the set of eisting rulings $hich ha'e made ne$ interpretations of la$ and,
therefore, can e cited as precedent. In most countries, including most +uropean
countries, the term is applied to any set of rulings on la$ $hich is guided y pre'ious
rulings, for eample, pre'ious decisions of a go'ernment agency - that is, precedentialcase la$ can arise from either a 3udicial ruling or a ruling of an ad3udication $ithin an
eecuti'e ranch agency. )rials and hearings that do not result in $ritten decisions of
a court of record do not create precedent for future court decisions.
&'(t %s ( )#ecedent*A precedent is a statement of la$ found in a 3udicial decision of a igh
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)hus, a precedent is the ratio of a decision $hich should e 3udicially applied in a gi'en
case.
It has almost ecome fashion-ale to (uote precedent after precedent in order to make a
point. A personDs erudition is measured y the numer of cases that he can (uote. And the
contrary is also e(ually true. If a person cannot (uote enough numer of decisions ut can
other$ise interpret a la$ correctly6 then his point, though eing correct in la$, may face
re3ection. )he undue importance attached to precedents almost creates a monopoly in
fa'our of some $ho alone can make a statement on la$ and if the same statement of la$
is made y others $ho ingeniously interpret la$, the statement $ill e diselie'ed. )he
$hole state of affairs places an enormous responsiility on the )riunal and higher
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)he la$ laid do$n y %upreme
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'alue to $hich %
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their o$n 3urisprudence. M.C. Mehta and another v. *nion o' +ndia and others , AIG
1B %< 1@C? 1B=1> %
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E-TENT O! BINDING
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It is for the higher court $hich $ill in due time decide et$een the competing precedents,
formally o'erruling one of them and sanctioning the other as good la$. In the mean time
matters remains at large ad the la$ uncertain.
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&HAT IS BINDING . THE RATIODECIDENDI
)he decision or 3udgement of a 3udge may fall into t$o parts? the ratio decidendi =reason
for the decision> and obiter dictum =something said y the $ay>.
)he principles of 4inding Precedent apply only $hen the facts must e sufficiently
similar and the court must e more senior or on the same le'el.
It is only the ratio decidendi =the legal reasoning or ground for the 3udicial decision>
$hich is inding on later courts under the system of 3udicial precedent.
RATIO DECIDENDI –)he ratio decidendi of a case is the principle of la$ on $hich a decision is ased. 0hen a
3udge deli'ers 3udgement in a case he outlines the facts $hich he finds ha'e een pro'edon the e'idence. )hen he applies the la$ to those facts and arri'es at a decision, for
$hich he gi'es the reason =ratio decidendi>.
OBITER DICTUM –)he 3udge may go on to speculate aout $hat his decision $ould or might ha'e een if
the facts of the case had een different. )his is an oiter dictum.
)he inding part of a 3udicial decision is the ratio decidendi. An oiter dictum is
not inding in later cases ecause it $as not strictly rele'ant to the matter in issue in the
original case. o$e'er, an oiter dictum may e of persuasi'e =as opposed to inding>
authority in later cases.
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A difficulty arises in that, although the 3udge $ill gi'e reasons for his decision, he $ill
not al$ays say $hat the ratio decidendi is, and it is then up to a later 3udge to ;elicit; the
ratio of the case. )here may, ho$e'er, e disagreement o'er $hat the ratio is and there
may e more than one ratio.
In a 3udgement deli'ered y a court, $hat part is a inding precedent is rele'ant so as to
e precise as to $hat is ultimately iding proposition to other courts. 0hat the court
decides generally is ratio decidendi or rule of la$ $hich it is authority. As against persons
not parties to suit or proceeding general rule of la$ i,e ratio decidendi is inding . )he
rule of la$ or ratio decidendi is that $hat is applied and acted upon y the
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correctly understood. It is the rule deducile from the application of la$ to the facts and
circumstances of a case $hich constitutes its ratio decidendi and not some conclusion
ased upon facts $hich may appear to e similar. /ne additional or different fact can
make a $orld of difference et$een conclusions in t$o cases e'en $hen the same
principles are applied in each case to similar facts.
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O#%g%n(l (nd Decl(#(to#,
)#ecedentsOriginal Precedent
1. Meaning? an original precedent is one $hich creates and applies a ne$ rule.
*. +amples? =a> 4himsingh 's. JH o'ernment1* AIG 1C %< 22 in this haeas
corpus case 4himsingh, an M.".A. $as detained y JH police. )he %upreme
* +G 1*C case is an eample of original precedent for injuria sine
damnum.
. It creates a ne$ rule.
2. )he numer of original precedents is small.
9. /riginal precedents de'elop in la$ in the country.
C. /riginal precedent is a ne$ la$ created and follo$ed in the future.
B. /riginal precedent is greater than declaratory precedents.
. )here is a hea'y urden and task mental tension on the 3udge $ho pronounces
original precedents to interpret the ne$ situations.
Declarator Precedents
1. M+A!I!? A declaratory precedent is one $hich is merely the application of an
already eisting rule of la$.
*. +ample? 4ha'asagar 's. %tate of A.P. 1.
)he igh
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8isposing the 5abeas Cor6us petition, the igh
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ade(uately recognised. Much of the reluctance on the part of the administrator to interpret
the la$ on his o$n arises from the lack of trust placed in him y the o'ernment.
RE!ERENCES
BOOS RE&ERRED
%P %athe, Administrati'e la$=*@1*>,Bth +dition, "eis-!eis 4utter$orths
0adh$a,!agpur
I.P Massey, dministrative la, =*@@B>, +ighth +dition, +astern 4ook company
/ur Contit#tion? An Introduction to IndiaDs .
4EBSITES RE&ERRED
1. http?EElegal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com*. http?EE$$$.casonline.orgE
. http?EE$$$.legalser'iceindia.comE
2. http?EEen.$ikipedia.orgE
Stat#te
)he
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• M.C. Mehta and another v. *nion o' +ndia and others, AIG 1B %< 1@C?
1B=1> % * +G 1*C
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