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 Precedents Introduction Precedents is an important source of law. It is as important as customs in the law. Cicero enumerates res judicata  as the source of law. The notion of precedents have the same force as that of powers or any other statute. Meaning According to Gray: A precedent covers everything said or done which furnished a rule for the subsequent practice. According to Keeton, a judicial precedent is a judicial decision to which authority has, in some measure, been attached. According to Jenks, a judicial precedent in a decision by a competent court of justice upon a disputed point of law, which becomes a guiding force for all the inferior courts. In short, we can say precedent means the guidance or authority of past decisions for future cases. Reasons for the reception of Precedents The justification of the binding rule of precedents is because:   It is based on practical experience rather than logic only. It is based on convenience. It prevents the labour of judges as the