What is ratio decidendi?

• A. It is the binding legal reason for a court's decision
• B. It is incidental statements that are persuasive but not binding
• C. It is the judge's personal opinion
• D. It is the procedural steps of a case

Answer: (A)

Ratio decidendi is the binding legal reason for a court’s decision. It’s the rule of law that the court applies to the material facts to reach the outcome and, as such, forms the precedent that future cases must follow. Incidental remarks made in a judgment that aren’t essential to the decision are obiter dicta and are persuasive but not binding. The judge’s personal opinions or policy views aren’t the binding basis for the decision. Procedural steps describe how the case was conducted, not the legal reasoning behind the outcome. So the element that creates binding authority for later cases is the ratio decidendi.