The Supreme Court has overturned precedent dozens of times in the past 60 years, including when it struck down legal segregation
- Written by: David Schultz, Professor of Law, University of Minnesota; Professor of Political Science, Hamline University
How much importance does the Supreme Court place on prior decisions?Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesIt is a central principle of law: Courts are supposed to follow earlier decisions – precedent – to resolve current disputes. But it’s inevitable that sometimes, the precedent has to go, and a court has to overrule another court, or even...
