820:
485:. Each week, all three women together made a forecast and each contributed to the cost of entry; but it was the grandmother's name that was on the coupon. The grandmother received £750 in prize money and refused to share it with the other two. The lodger successfully sued for one third of the prize money; but Sellers J added
552:
Simply labeling a statement in an opinion as a 'holding' does not necessarily make it so. Gratuitous statements in an opinion that do not implicate the adjudicative facts of the case's specific holding do not have the bite of precedent. They bind neither coordinate nor inferior courts in the judicial
166:
may occur where a judge makes an aside to provide context for the opinion, or makes a thorough exploration of a relevant area of law. If a judge, by way of illumination, provides a hypothetical example, this would be obiter even if relevant because it would not be on the facts of the case, as in the
286:
If I advertise to the world that my dog is lost, and that anybody who brings the dog to a particular place will be paid some money, are all the police or other persons whose business it is to find lost dogs to be expected to sit down and write me a note saying that they have accepted my proposal?
424:
said: "...there remains in the Courts of Law a residual power ... to conserve the moral welfare of the State, and ... guard it against attacks which may be the more insidious because they are novel and unprepared for." In a dissenting judgment,
420:(a guide to London prostitutes) was convicted of "conspiracy to corrupt public morals". He appealed on the grounds that no such offence existed. The House of Lords dismissed the appeal, in effect creating a new crime.
271:
prevented the stevedores in this instance from benefiting from protection of an exemption clause, in future such protection could be effective if four guidelines (which he went on to list) were all met. In
331:
can suggest an interpretation of law that has no bearing on the case at hand but might be useful in future cases. The most notable instance of such an occurrence is the history of the famous
Footnote 4 to
597:
Reid-Rambo, Teresa, and Leanne J. Pflaum. "Chapter 5: Sources of Law; Reading and
Interpreting Cases", Legal Writing by Design: A Guide to Great Briefs and Memos. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic, 2013. 85.
194:
may become part of the holding or ruling in a subsequent case, depending on what the latter court actually decided and how that court treated the principle embodied in the quoted passage.
218:
321:
305:
245:
143:, you should invert the argument, that is to say, ask whether the decision would have been different, had the statement been omitted. If so, the statement is crucial and is
97:
only if it refers to the crucial facts and law of the case. Statements that are not crucial, or which refer to hypothetical facts or to unrelated law issues, are
390:. These, however, might also be cited should a court determine that its previous decision was in error, as when the United States Supreme Court cited Justice
441:
in which a publisher was charged with "conspiracy to corrupt public morals". In this case, Lord Reid said he still disagreed with the majority decision in
158:
to hear a case (or dismisses the case on a technicality), but still goes on to offer opinions on the merits of the case, such opinions may constitute
342:
to block most legislation, suggested that the clause might be applied to strike down legislation dealing with questions of "fundamental right". This
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Indeed, the formulation took flight from a case in which we mistakenly suggested that a claim-processing rule was 'mandatory and jurisdictional.'
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857:
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263:
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was not content merely to grant the landlord's claim, but added that had the landlord sought to recover the back rent from the war years,
842:
296:
119:
that, although included in the body of the court's opinion, do not form a necessary part of the court's decision. In a court opinion,
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406:
324:. Whether or not Chief Justice Waite's remark constitutes binding precedent is arguable, but subsequent rulings treat it as such.
852:
168:
278:(a case whether a woman who had used a smoke ball as prescribed could claim the advertised reward after catching influenza),
738:
862:
557:: 'statement of law in the opinion which could not logically be a major premise of the selected facts of the decision.'
356:
279:
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found in the texts of the opinions from prior cases, with or without acknowledging the quoted passage's status as
526:
391:
235:
him from doing so. Given that the landlord did not wish to recover any back rent, Denning's addition was clearly
131:
are not the subject of the judicial decision, even if they happen to be correct statements of law. The so-called
473:
for "it seems"), indicating that the point is uncertain or represents only the judge's opinion. For example, in
683:
We have previously recognized that 'dicta from the
Supreme Court is not something to be lightly cast aside.'
123:
include, but are not limited to, words "introduced by way of illustration, or analogy or argument". Unlike
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228:
351:
847:
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Knuller (Publishing, Printing and
Promotions) Ltd. v. DPP A.C. 435 at 456, 56 Cr.App.R. 633 at 637
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that the granddaughter should also get £250, even though she had not been a party to the action.
481:
383:
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316:, recorded by the court reporter before oral argument, now forms the basis for the doctrine that
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58:
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University of
Florida scholars Teresa Reid-Rambo and Leanne Pflaum explain the process by which
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421:
479:(1955), a grandmother, granddaughter and a lodger entered into weekly competitions in the
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261:, even though, on the facts, a disclaimer was effective in quashing any claim. Also, in
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it is not for the courts to rush in." Subsequently, Lord Reid was the leading judge in
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To be sure, Supreme Court dicta, even while nonbinding, are still highly persuasive.
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354:) in racial-, religious-, and sexual-discrimination cases, first articulated in
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can be influential. One example in the
Supreme Court's history is the 1886 case
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17:
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465:
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654:"Hamer v. Neighborhood Hous. Servs. of Chi., 138 S. Ct. 13 (2017)"
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50:
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said: "Parliament is the proper place, ... to . Where
Parliament
607:
Central London
Property Trust Ltd v High Trees House Ltd KB 130
239:, yet this statement became the basis for the modern revival of
616:
Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners Ltd AC 465
257:, that negligent misstatement could give rise to a claim for
702:. Harvard Law School. December 31, 2013. p. 1164 n.2.
135:
provides that to determine whether a judicial statement is
45:
phrase meaning "other things said", that is, a remark in a
445:, but in the interests of certainty he would not overturn
182:
In reaching decisions, courts sometimes quote passages of
660:. Harvard Law School. November 8, 2017. p. 21 n.11.
213:
are not binding, although in some jurisdictions, such as
217:, they can be strongly persuasive. For instance, in the
346:
is generally considered to have led to the doctrine of
625:
Scruttons Ltd v
Midland Silicones Ltd UKHL 4, AC 446
386:(the term used in the United Kingdom also constitute
246:
Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners Ltd
780:'Simpkins v Pays' 1 WLR 975 Queen's Bench Division
723:. Harvard Law School. August 28, 2019. p. 843.
681:. Harvard Law School. June 15, 2006. p. 1325.
579:. Harvard Law School. August 6, 2010. p. 741.
550:. Harvard Law School. August 7, 2003. p. 265.
306:
Santa Clara County v. Southern
Pacific Railroad Co.
61:, whereby a judgment comprises only two elements:
643:Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company EWCA Civ 1
634:Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company 2 QB 256
284:
180:
704:Well-reasoned dicta is the law of the circuit.
679:U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
8:
267:, Lord Reid proposed that while doctrine of
721:U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
700:U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
577:U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
548:U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
364:was itself condemned by the same court in
338:(1938), which, while rejecting use of the
717:"United States v. McAdory, 935 F.3d 838"
567:
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115:) are remarks or observations made by a
573:"United States v. Dupree, 617 F.3d 724"
544:"United States v. Warren, 338 F.3d 258"
521:
519:
515:
741:from the original on February 22, 2014
335:United States v. Carolene Products Co.
147:; whereas if it is not crucial, it is
27:Common legal term; "other things said"
320:are entitled to protection under the
275:Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company
264:Scruttons Ltd v Midland Silicones Ltd
178:may become binding. They write that:
7:
696:"Enying Li v. Holder, 738 F.3d 1160"
25:
675:"Schwab v. Crosby, 451 F.3d 1308"
407:United States v. Darby Lumber Co.
382:The arguments and reasoning of a
49:that is "said in passing" by any
818:
378:Dissenting judgments or opinions
154:If a court rules that it lacks
71:. For the purposes of judicial
57:. It is a concept derived from
868:Legal doctrines and principles
1:
823:The dictionary definition of
35:(usually used in the plural,
858:Common law legal terminology
553:hierarchy. They are classic
91:A judicial statement can be
297:United States Supreme Court
884:
843:Judicial legal terminology
362:Korematsu v. United States
357:Korematsu v. United States
209:, statements constituting
392:Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
133:Wambaugh's Inversion Test
530:, p. 967 (5th ed. 1979).
360:(1944). The judgment of
309:. A passing remark from
853:Latin legal terminology
527:Black's Law Dictionary
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203:Under the doctrine of
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190:. A quoted passage of
762:AC 220 House of Lords
352:intermediate scrutiny
199:In the United Kingdom
162:. Other instances of
83:are persuasive only.
863:Legal interpretation
327:In other instances,
322:Fourteenth Amendment
292:In the United States
79:is binding, whereas
416:a publisher of the
400:when it overturned
397:Hammer v. Dagenhart
384:dissenting judgment
269:privity of contract
241:promissory estoppel
658:U.S. Supreme Court
482:Sunday Empire News
463:is the concept of
350:(and subsequently
340:Due Process Clause
259:pure economic loss
225:Mr Justice Denning
59:English common law
791:"Simpkins v Pays"
586:plurality opinion
314:Morrison R. Waite
243:. Similarly, in
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99:obiter dicta
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87:Significance
81:obiter dicta
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69:obiter dicta
68:
62:
38:obiter dicta
37:
36:
31:
30:
29:
745:February 6,
231:would have
848:Common law
837:Categories
801:2014-01-11
760:Shaw v DPP
510:References
414:Shaw v DPP
220:High Trees
55:arbitrator
735:"Dissent"
427:Lord Reid
73:precedent
739:Archived
493:See also
459:Akin to
374:(2018).
280:Bowen LJ
233:estopped
169:Carlill
41:) is a
598:Print.
499:Dictum
487:semble
466:semble
461:obiter
454:Semble
402:Hammer
282:said:
255:obiter
253:held,
249:, the
237:obiter
229:equity
223:case,
149:obiter
141:obiter
113:obiter
145:ratio
137:ratio
117:judge
111:, or
108:dicta
51:judge
43:Latin
747:2014
447:Shaw
443:Shaw
67:and
412:In
404:in
368:in
299:'s
139:or
53:or
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719:.
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575:.
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546:.
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518:^
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804:.
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469:(
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