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Full-Text Articles in Law
Practical Truth: The Value Of Apparent Honesty In Supreme Court Opinions, Timothy C. Macdonnell
Practical Truth: The Value Of Apparent Honesty In Supreme Court Opinions, Timothy C. Macdonnell
Scholarly Articles
Judicial honesty or judicial candor is the subject of significant scholarly attention, but it is not the focus of this Essay. Rather, the author's focus is on the importance that appearing honest has on the persuasive force of an opinion and the dangers associated with failing to achieve that goal. This distinction is not intended to suggest Justices should seek apparent honesty while not being actually honest. Rather, this Essay emphasizes that actually honest opinions must also be apparently honest. Thus, judicial candor is necessary to apparent honesty, but it is not always sufficient on its own.
To support the …
Transtemporal Separation Of Powers In The Law Of Precedent, Randy Beck
Transtemporal Separation Of Powers In The Law Of Precedent, Randy Beck
Scholarly Works
The rule of stare decisis creates a presumption that a court’s ruling on a legal question remains binding in later decisions by the same court or hierarchically inferior courts. This presumption promotes stability in the law and protects reliance interests. Decisions that narrowly construe or overrule prior opinions can therefore seem like unprincipled threats to the rule of law.
This article seeks to highlight some countervailing themes in the case law, showing that stability and the protection of reliance interests are not the exclusive concerns underlying the law of precedent. The relevant doctrine attempts to balance these objectives with competing …