Elevating a single case holding to a principle causes improper legal breadth.
Evidence
When a specific holding of a case is suddenly anointed with the chrism of “principle,” it has a very real effect on the doctrine of stare decisis. There is always the danger that a commentator or a subsequent opinion writer, either in the same court or another, will elevate the decision’s naked holding to the dignity of a legal “principle,” and attribute to that single decision a precedential breadth never intended. — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 136
Categorization
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 136
- XREF: connects to: Valid legal analogies depend on relevant similarities rather than case quantities — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 343; An unprincipled and unsound legal argument can never be right — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 83; Case by case adjudication allows unfair rules to be modified. — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 119 (+13 more)
Broader Connections
- A legal principle emerges from a long line of decisions.
#expands(0.85) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 134 - The legal form of composition fallacies moves from specifics to generalities.
#expands(0.80) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1219 - The scope and meaning of legal rules depend on factual similarities
#corroborates(0.75) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 151 - A judicial precedent attaches specific legal consequences to detailed case facts.
#qualifies(0.65) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 131 - Common law rules arise from comparing cases, not from tracing prior logic
#qualifies(0.60) — Burton, Steven J, An Introduction to Law and Legal…, 222