A court decision is the final determination of rights and obligations reached by a judge at the end of a lawsuit. Along the way to this end, the judge may issue many rulings about how the case should be heard and what evidence is likely to be presented at trial. These rulings might include limiting or expanding what is allowed at the trial, establishing how a jury will be instructed about the case, or deciding what the verdict should be. The end result of all the rulings is the decision, which can be written or handed down.
Throughout history, judicial decisions, called precedent, have significantly shaped American history and contemporary society. This is because they alter how laws are interpreted or even deem them unconstitutional, thus changing the status quo. For example, a Supreme Court decision can bestow or revoke rights or change how law enforcement is carried out. While it is rare for the Supreme Court to overrule its own decisions, when it does occur, it usually has strong and specific grounds for doing so.
A court decision is often written down in an opinion, which will state the outcome of the case and provide the reasoning for that decision. The Court’s official opinions are usually published in a legal journal or report, so that they can be easily cited by other courts in future cases. Some opinions are not attributed to a Justice, and these are known as “per curiam” or “non-seriatim” opinions.