ratio decidendi

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin ratiō dēcidendī, from ratiō (“reckoning, method, reasoning”) + dēcidendī, genitive singular of dēcidendus, gerund of dēcidere (“to settle”).

Noun

ratio decidendi (plural rationes decidendi)

1. (law) The legal principle or rationale on which a judicial decision is based.

Related terms

• obiter
• obiter dictum

Translations

legal principle on which judicial decision is based

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 判決依據 / 判决依据 (pànjué yījù)

• Finnish: oikeusohje
• Greek: σκεπτικό (el) n (skeptikó)