- dictum
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dic·tum /'dik-təm/ n pl dic·ta /-tə/ [Latin, utterance, from neuter of dictus, past participle of dicere to say]: a view expressed by a judge in an opinion on a point not necessarily arising from or involved in a case or necessary for determining the rights of the parties involved – called also obiter dictum; compare holding, judgment, precedent, stare decisis◇ Dicta have persuasive value in making an argument, but they are not binding as precedent.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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noun
announcement, assertion, authoritative assertion, declaration, extrajudicial opinion, finding, gratuitous remark, illustrative statement, incidental opinion, judicial assertion, judicial comment, judicial remark, observation, opinion, pronouncement, recommendation, remark, statement, statement by way of illustration
associated concepts: judicial dictum, obiter dictum
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index
canon, comment
III
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declaration
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dogma, law
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observation
VI
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phrase, pronouncement
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remark
VIII
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statement
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.A statement or observation made by a judge about a case that is not an official part of a judicial opinion, does not embody the court’s decision, and is not binding.pl.dicta
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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A remark, statement, or observation of a judge that is not a necessary part of the legal reasoning needed to reach the decision in a case. Although dictum may be cited in a legal argument, it is not binding as legal precedent, meaning that other courts are not required to accept it. Dictum is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "obiter dictum," which means a remark by the way, or an aside.Category: Representing Yourself in CourtCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n. In a court's decision, a statement of opinion or of a general rule that is explanatory or suggestive only, and not binding on courts in future cases, because it does not form part of the court's central argument. For example, a judge's suggestion as to how she might decide a related controversy not presently before her would be considered dictum.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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(Latin: A remark.)A statement, comment, or opinion. An abbreviated version of obiter dictum, "a remark by the way," which is a collateral opinion stated by a judge in the decision of a case concerning legal matters that do not directly involve the facts or affect the outcome of the case, such as a legal principle that is introduced by way of illustration, argument, analogy, or suggestion.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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[Latin, A remark.] A statement, comment, or opinion. An abbreviated version of obiter dictum, "a remark by the way," which is a collateral opinion stated by a judge in the decision of a case concerning legal matters that do not directly involve the facts or affect the outcome of the case, such as a legal principle that is introduced by way of illustration, argument, analogy, or suggestion.II (Pl. dicta) A decision; a judicial opinion on a point of law.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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n.Latin for "remark," a comment by a judge in a decision or ruling which is not required to reach the decision, but may state a related legal principle as the judge understands it. While it may be cited in legal argument, it does not have the full force of a precedent (previous court decisions or interpretations) since the comment was not part of the legal basis for judgment. The standard counter argument is: "it is only dictum (or dicta)."
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.