Question

Discuss the application of the Doctrine of Stare Decisis in the United States Supreme Court's ruling on the Brown decision. Did the Court adhere to this doctrine? Provide reasons and justifications for your stance, highlighting whether the decision maintained or departed from precedent and why.

Answer 1

The United States Supreme Court adhered to the Doctrine of Stare Decisis in the Brown decision, which marked a departure from the precedent set by the Plessy decision.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Doctrine of Stare Decisis is a legal principle that requires judges to rely on and adhere to previous court decisions when deciding similar cases. In the United States Supreme Court's ruling on the Brown decision in 1954, the Court did adhere to the Doctrine of Stare Decisis. The Court overturned the precedent set by the Plessy decision in 1896, which upheld the constitutionality of separate but equal facilities and thus segregation. The Brown decision marked a departure from precedent as it declared that separate is inherently unequal, and de jure segregation was now unconstitutional.