Final answer:
Court decisions can indeed expand the meanings of laws and establish precedents for future cases. Precedents guide current decisions and can be adapted over time, shaping the application of laws about evolving societal values and legal challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a court decision, through the application and interpretation of laws about a specific event, expands the meaning of the law and establishes a precedent for future decisions is true. When judges issue a decision, they often rely on the principle of stare decisis, which translates from Latin as 'to stand by the decision.'
Courts interpret precedents to justify and guide their rulings in current cases by identifying similarities to prior cases. However, they are also able to adapt and evolve these precedents to reflect changes in society, new legal challenges, and shifts in societal values and norms. This adaptability ensures that the legal system continues to meet the needs of justice while respecting historical jurisprudence.
Consequently, when a court interprets and applies existing laws or the Constitution to complex and specific cases, it may create new legal precedents. These precedents then act as guidelines for future judicial decisions, providing a framework within which similar cases should be decided and offering a degree of predictability and stability in the legal system.