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A landmark decision is the outcome of a legal case (often thus referred to as a landmark case) that establishes a precedent
Precedent

In common law Legal systems of the world, a precedent or authority is a legal case establishing a principle or rule that a court or other judicial body adopts when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts....
 that either substantially changes the interpretation of the law
LAW

LAW may refer to:* Anti-tank warfare, e.g. the US Army M72 LAW or the British Army LAW 80*Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights ...
 or that simply establishes new case law
Case law

Case law is the general term for the principles and rules of law set forth in judge legal opinion from courts of law. Case law incorporates courts' decisions from individual legal case and encompasses courts' interpretations of statutes, constitution provisions, administrative law regulations and, in some cases, law originating solely f...
 on a particular issue. Certain cases within this category are widely known in legal studies and may be reviewed by law students even if they have been overturned by later decisions.

The term "landmark
Landmark

Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by exploration and others to find their way back or through an area.In modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure....
 decision" is not a formal legal term but a colloquialism
Colloquialism

A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal Speech communication, writing or paralinguistics. Colloquialisms are also sometimes referred to collectively as "colloquial language"....
, however it is in widespread use amongst legal professionals — over 5,000 published opinions of lower courts can be found identifying some precedent as a landmark decision in the field of law being addressed.

A landmark decision differs from a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre

A cause c?l?bre is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. It is particularly used for prolific and long-running legal cases....
 in that a case that draws public attention may not involve any substantial changes to the law or creation of new law.






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A landmark decision is the outcome of a legal case (often thus referred to as a landmark case) that establishes a precedent
Precedent

In common law Legal systems of the world, a precedent or authority is a legal case establishing a principle or rule that a court or other judicial body adopts when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts....
 that either substantially changes the interpretation of the law
LAW

LAW may refer to:* Anti-tank warfare, e.g. the US Army M72 LAW or the British Army LAW 80*Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights ...
 or that simply establishes new case law
Case law

Case law is the general term for the principles and rules of law set forth in judge legal opinion from courts of law. Case law incorporates courts' decisions from individual legal case and encompasses courts' interpretations of statutes, constitution provisions, administrative law regulations and, in some cases, law originating solely f...
 on a particular issue. Certain cases within this category are widely known in legal studies and may be reviewed by law students even if they have been overturned by later decisions.

The term "landmark
Landmark

Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by exploration and others to find their way back or through an area.In modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure....
 decision" is not a formal legal term but a colloquialism
Colloquialism

A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal Speech communication, writing or paralinguistics. Colloquialisms are also sometimes referred to collectively as "colloquial language"....
, however it is in widespread use amongst legal professionals — over 5,000 published opinions of lower courts can be found identifying some precedent as a landmark decision in the field of law being addressed.

A landmark decision differs from a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre

A cause c?l?bre is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. It is particularly used for prolific and long-running legal cases....
 in that a case that draws public attention may not involve any substantial changes to the law or creation of new law. Conversely, a landmark decision may not impinge upon the consciousness of the general public.

Landmark decisions in Australia

Main articles: List of High Court of Australia cases
List of High Court of Australia cases

This is a chronological list of significant cases decided by the High Court of Australia....
 and List of Judicial Committee of the Privy Council cases
List of Judicial Committee of the Privy Council cases

This list is of all major cases decided by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. These include appeal from the following countries* Australia ...
Landmark decisions in Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 have usually been made by the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia

The High Court of Australia is the final court of appeal in Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States and territories of Australia, and interprets the Const...
, although historically some have been made by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
.

  • In 1948 the High Court of Australia found that the Chifley
    Ben Chifley

    Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician and 16th Prime Minister of Australia, was one of Australia's most influential Prime Ministers. Among his government's accomplishments were the post-war immigration scheme under Arthur Calwell, the establishment of Australian citizenship in 1949, the Snowy Mountains Scheme, the national airline T...
     government's legislation to nationalise Australia's private banks was unconstitutional.
  • In 1951 the High Court of Australia found that Robert Menzies
    Robert Menzies

    Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, Order of the Thistle, Order of Australia, Order of the Companions of Honour, Queen's Counsel , Australian politician, was the twelfth Prime Minister of Australia....
    ' attempts to ban the Communist Party of Australia
    Communist Party of Australia

    The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991. It achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted banning in 1951....
     were unconstitutional.
  • In 1992 Eddie Mabo & Ors v The State of Queensland (No.2) invalidated the declaration of terra nullius
    Terra nullius

    Terra nullius is a Latin expression deriving from Roman Law meaning "land belonging to no one", "nobody's land" i.e. "empty land" "desolate", applying the general principle of res nullius to real estate, in terms of private ownership and/or as territory under public law....
    .


Landmark decisions in Canada

Main articles: List of Supreme Court of Canada cases
List of Supreme Court of Canada cases

The Supreme Court of Canada is the court of last resort and final appeal in Canada. Cases that are successfully appealed to the Court are generally of national importance....
 and List of Judicial Committees of the Privy Council cases
Landmark decisions in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 are have usually been made by the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada is the supreme court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal Appeal, and its decisions are stare decisis, binding upon all lower courts of...
, although historically some have been made by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
.

Aboriginal rights

  • R. v. Sparrow
    R. v. Sparrow

    R. v. Sparrow, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1075 was an important decision of the Supreme Court of Canada concerning the application of Aboriginal peoples in Canada rights under Section Thirty-five of the Constitution Act, 1982 of the Constitution Act, 1982....
    , [1990] 1. S.C.R. 1075
  • Delgamuukw v. British Columbia
    Delgamuukw v. British Columbia

    Delgamuukw v. British Columbia Case citation, also known as Delgamuukw vs. the Queen is a famous leading decision of the Supreme Court of Canada where the Court made its most definitive statement on the nature of Aboriginal title in Canada....
     [1997] 3 S.C.R. 1010
  • R. v. Marshall
    R. v. Marshall

    R. v. Marshall [1999] 3 S.C.R. 456 and R. v. Marshall [1999] 3 S.C.R. 533 are two decisions given by the Supreme Court of Canada on a single case regarding a treaty right to fish....
     [1999] 3 SCR 45

Abortion

R. v. Morgentaler
R. v. Morgentaler

R. v. Morgentaler Case citation was a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada wherein the abortion provision in the Criminal Code of Canada was found to be unconstitutional, as it violated a woman's right under Section Seven of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to "security of perso...
 [1988] 1 S.C.R. 30

Equality
Social equality

Social equality is a society state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect....

  • Egan v. Canada
    Egan v. Canada

    Egan v. Canada, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 513, was one of a trilogy of equality rights cases published by a very divided Supreme Court of Canada in the spring of 1995....
     [1995] 2 S.C.R. 513
  • Law v. Canada [1999] 1 S.C.R. 497


Freedom of Expression

  • Ford v. Quebec (A.G.) [1988] 2 S.C.R. 712
  • Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Quebec (Attorney General)
    Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Quebec (Attorney General)

    Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Quebec , [1989] 1 S.C.R. 927 is a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision on freedom of expression in Section Two of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms....
     [1989]
  • R. v. Zundel
    R. v. Zundel

    R. v. Zundel [1992] 2 S.C.R. 731 is a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision where the Court struck down the provision in the Criminal Code of Canada that prohibited publication of false information or news on the basis that it violated the freedom of expression provision under Section Two of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms...
    , [1992] 2 SCR 731
  • R. v. Sharpe
    R. v. Sharpe

    R. v. Sharpe, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 45, 2001 SCC 2, is a Canadian civil rights decision of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Court upheld the child pornography provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada as a valid limitation of the right to freedom of expression under Section Two of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of the Canadian Cha...
     [2001] 1 S.C.R. 45


Landmark decisions in the United Kingdom

Main articles: List of House of Lords cases
Landmark decisions in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 have usually been made by the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales

The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the Courts of England and Wales, with only the Judicial functions of the House of Lords above it....
 or the House of Lords
House of Lords

The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". The Parliament comprises the British monarchy, the British House of Commons , and the Lords....
, and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. Many twentieth century examples have involved contributions from the late Lord Denning. 'Landmark decision' as a term is not usually used in England and Wales. The usual term is 'leading case'.

  • Darcy v. Allein
    Darcy v. Allein

    Darcy v. Allin, Case citation , was an early landmark case in English law, establishing that the grant of exclusive rights to produce any article was improper ....
     (1603) 77 Eng. Rep. 1260
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
     (King’s Bench) (most widely know as The Case of Monopolies): establishing that it was improper for any individual to be allowed to have a monopoly
    Monopoly

    In economics, a monopoly exists when a specific individual or enterprise has sufficient control over a particular product or service to determine significantly the terms on which other individuals shall have access to it....
     over a trade.
  • The Case of Prohibitions
    Case of Prohibitions

    The Case of Prohibitions is a historical English court decision that established the supremacy of the courts. King James I of England placed himself in the position of judge for a dispute....
     (1607) (Court of Common Pleas
    Court of Common Pleas (England)

    The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was a common law court in the English legal system. Created to relieve pressure on what later became the Court of King's Bench , the Court of Common Pleas stood as the third highest common law court for over 600 years until its abolition in 1875....
    )
  • Bushel's Case
    Bushel's Case

    Bushel?s Case is a famous England decision on the role of jury....
     (1670) (Court of Common Pleas
    Court of Common Pleas (England)

    The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was a common law court in the English legal system. Created to relieve pressure on what later became the Court of King's Bench , the Court of Common Pleas stood as the third highest common law court for over 600 years until its abolition in 1875....
    ): establishing the principle that a judge
    Judge

    A judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead official who presides over a court of law,which is operated by the local, state, and/or federal government....
     cannot coerce a jury
    Jury

    A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render a rationalism, impartiality verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a sentence or judgment....
     to convict.


  • Entick v. Carrington (1765) 19 Howell's State Trials 1030
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing the civil liberties
    Civil liberties

    Civil liberties are Freedom that protect the individual from the government. Civil liberties set limits for government so that it cannot abuse its Political power and interfere with the lives of its citizens....
     of individuals and limiting the scope of executive power.


  • Tulk v. Moxhay
    Tulk v. Moxhay

    Tulk v. Moxhay 41 ER 1143 is a landmark England case that decided that in certain cases a restrictive covenant can "run with the land" in Equity ....
    (1848) 41 ER 1143
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing that in certain cases a restrictive covenant
    Restrictive covenant

    A real covenant is a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller upon the buyer of real estate to do or not to do something. Such restrictions frequently "run with the land" and are enforceable on subsequent buyers of the property....
     can "run with the land" (i.e. bind a future owner) in equity.
  • Hadley v. Baxendale
    Hadley v. Baxendale

    Hadley v Baxendale 9 Exch 341 is a leading English contract law case. It set the basic rule for how to determine the scope of consequential damages arising from a breach of contract, that one is liable for all losses that ought to have been in the contemplation of the contracting parties....
     (1854) 9 Exch. 341
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
     (Court of Exchequer
    Court of Exchequer

    Court of Exchequer may refer to:*Exchequer of pleas, an ancient English court, that ceased to exist independently in the late nineteenth century...
    ): establishing the extent to which a party in breach of contract is liable for the damages.
  • Rylands v. Fletcher (1868) LR 3 HL 330
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing a doctrine of strict liability
    Strict liability

    Strict liability makes a person responsible for the damage and loss caused by his/her acts and omissions regardless of culpability . Strict liability is important in torts , corporations law, and criminal law....
     for some inherently dangerous activities.
  • Foakes v. Beer
    Foakes v. Beer

    Foakes v Beer 9 App Cas 605 is a controversial application of the Pre-existing Duty Rule and a leading case from the House of Lords on the legal concept of Consideration under English law....
     [1884] 9 A.C. 605
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing the rule that prevents parties from discharging a contractual obligation by part performance.
  • The Moorcock
    The Moorcock

    The Moorcock, Case citation , is a leading England case in contract law where the concept of implied terms was first introduced....
     14 P.D. 64 (1889)
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing the concept of implied terms in contract law.
  • Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Company
    Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Company

    Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company [1892] is a leading judgment from the English Court of Appeal in the law of contract. It is notable for applying and developing the English law of contract in inventive ways and for the particularly influential judges who decided it....
     [1893] 1 QB 256
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing the test for formation of a contract
    Contract

    A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do, or refrain from doing, an act which is enforceable in a court of law. It is a binding legal agreement....
    .


  • Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre v. Selfridge and Co. Ltd.
    Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre v. Selfridge and Co. Ltd.

    Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre v Selfridge & Co Ltd [1915] A.C. 847 is a leading House of Lords case on privity of contract. It established that only a party to a contract can be sued on it....
     [1915] A.C. 847
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : confirming privity of contract
    Privity of contract

    The doctrine of privity in contract law provides that a contract cannot confer rights or impose obligations arising under it on any person or agent except the parties to it....
    : only a party to a contract can be sued on it.
  • Donoghue v. Stevenson
    Donoghue v. Stevenson

    Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 is one of the most famous cases in Scotland legal history. The decision of the House of Lords founded the modern tort of negligence , both in Scots law and across the world in common law jurisdictions....
     [1932] S.C.(H.L.) 31
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing the "neighbour principle" as the foundation of the modern tort
    Tort

    Tort law is the name given to a body of law that addresses, and provides remedies for, civil wrongs not arising out of contractual obligations. A person who suffers legal damages may be able to use tort law to receive compensation from someone who is liability, or "liable," for those injuries....
     (Scottish delict
    Delict

    Delict is a concept of civil law in which a willful wrong or an act of negligence gives rise to a legal obligation between parties even though there has been no contract between the parties....
    ) of negligence
    Negligence

    Negligence is a Law concept in the common law legal systems usually used to achieve compensation for injuries . Negligence is a type of tort or delict ....
    .
  • Central London Property Trust Ltd v. High Trees House Ltd
    Central London Property Trust Ltd v. High Trees House Ltd

    Central London Property Trust Ltd v. High Trees House Ltd [1947] KB 130 is an English contract law legal opinion by Tom Denning, Baron Denning in the High Court of Justice....
     [1947] K.B. 130
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing the doctrine of promissory estoppel.
  • Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corporation
    Wednesbury unreasonableness

    In English law, Wednesbury unreasonableness is unreasonableness of an administrative decision that is so extreme that courts may intervene to correct it....
     [1948] 1 KB 223
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : estalishing the concept of Wednesbury unreasonableness
    Wednesbury unreasonableness

    In English law, Wednesbury unreasonableness is unreasonableness of an administrative decision that is so extreme that courts may intervene to correct it....
     for judicial review
    Judicial review

    Judicial review is the power of the courts to annul the acts of the executive and/or the legislative power where it finds them incompatible with a higher norm....
    .
  • Hedley Byrne v. Heller
    Hedley Byrne v. Heller

    Hedley Byrne v. Heller & Partners Ltd [1964] AC 465 is an English tort law case on negligent misstatement. Decided by the Judicial functions of the House of Lords, it was a groundbreaking case in recognising liability for pure economic loss not arising from a contractual relationship....
     [1963] 2 All E.R. 575
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing liability for pure economic loss, absent any contract, arising from a negligent statement.
  • Fagan v. Metropolitan Police Commissioner
    Fagan v. Metropolitan Police Commissioner

    Fagan v. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Case citation is a leading case that illustrates the requirement of concurrence of actus reus and mens rea in order to establish an offence under the criminal law of England and Wales....
     [1969] 1 QB 439
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : a leading case illustrating the requirement for concurrence
    Concurrence

    In Western world jurisprudence, concurrence, , is the apparent need to prove the simultaneous occurrence of both actus reus and mens rea , to constitute a crime; except in crimes of strict liability....
     of actus reus
    Actus reus

    Actus reus, sometimes called the Element or the objective element of a crime, is the Latin term for the "guilty act" which, when proved beyond a reasonable doubt in combination with the mens rea, "guilty mind", produces criminal liability in the common law-based criminal law jurisdictions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, I...
     (Latin
    Latin

    Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
     for "guilty act") and mens rea
    Mens rea

    In criminal law, mens rea the Latin term for "guilty mind" is usually one of the necessary Element of a crime. The standard common law test of criminal liability is usually expressed in the Latin phrase, actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea, which means that "the act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty"....
     (Latin for "guilty mind") in order to establish a criminal offence.
  • Ramsay v. IRC [1982] A. C. 300
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing a doctrine that ignores for tax purposes the purported effect of a pre-ordained series of transactions into which there are inserted steps that have no commercial purpose apart from the avoidance of a liability to tax.
  • Furniss v. Dawson
    Furniss v. Dawson

    Furniss v. Dawson is an important Judicial functions of the House of Lords case law in the field of United Kingdom tax. Its full name is "Furniss v....
     [1984] A.C. 474
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
    : establishing that tax can be levied on the results of a composite transaction, even if steps that are only there for the purpose of avoiding tax do not cancel each other out.
  • Factortame case
    Factortame case

    The Factortame case is a landmark decision in United Kingdom and European Union law, which confirmed the supremacy of European Union law over national law in the areas where the EU has Principle of conferral....
     (1990): the European Court of Justice
    European Court of Justice

    The Court of Justice of the European Communities, usually called the European Court of Justice , is the Supreme court of the European Union ....
     ruled that the House of Lords
    House of Lords

    The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". The Parliament comprises the British monarchy, the British House of Commons , and the Lords....
     was required to suspend an Act of Parliament that infringed EC law.


Landmark decisions in the United States


Landmark cases in the United States come most frequently (but not exclusively) from the United States Supreme Court. United States Courts of Appeal
United States court of appeals

The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate Court of Appealss of the United States federal court system. A court of appeals decides appeals from the United States district courts within its United States federal judicial circuit, and in some instances from other designated federal courts and administrative agency....
 may also make such decisions, particularly if the Supreme Court chooses not to review the case, or adopts the holding of the court below. Although many cases from state supreme court
State supreme court

In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the U.S. state court system.Generally, the state supreme court is exclusively for hearing appeals of legal issues....
s are significant in developing the law of that state, only a few are so revolutionary that they announce standards that many other state courts then choose to follow.

See also

  • Case citation
    Case citation

    Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called Reporter s or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported....
  • Lists of case law
  • Common law
    Common law

    Common law refers to law and the corresponding Legal systems of the world developed through legal opinion of courts and similar tribunals , rather than through statute law or Executive ....


External links

  • — Cornell Law School