consistent with precedent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "consistent with precedent" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in legal, academic, or formal contexts to indicate that something aligns with established practices or previous decisions. Example: "The court's ruling was consistent with precedent, reinforcing the importance of following established legal standards."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

There are plenty of previous PCC rulings about what constitutes "a reasonable expectation of privacy" and it's fair to say that this decision is consistent with precedent.

The Guardian

Consistent with precedent, he rejected plaintiff's method of proof and accepted defendants' evidence of value as being in accord with practice under prior case law.

Harvard University

-- Cobb expressed concern last week that Trump might be walking into a "perjury trap" by talking to Mueller: "I would hope that a fair-minded Office of Special Counsel would approach it in a dutiful way consistent with precedent and it wouldn't just be a perjury trap," the White House lawyer told CBS News.

The Washington Post

She appealed the university's ruling in the case of her assailant, but another dean upheld the punishment because it was "reasonably consistent with precedent in similar cases".

Huffington Post

"I don't think he'll approach the job with any kind of agenda other than to do what is right and consistent with precedent as he understands it," Collins said.

Los Angeles Times

California Deputy Attorney General Deborah Chuang argued that the Ninth Circuit's ruling was not consistent with precedent because the Supreme Court had never addressed using age as a factor in custody analysis.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Our gene expression responses might appear small for readers accustomed to on/off switches during cell fate specification, but they are consistent with precedents in the literature, such as Figure S4 in Liang et al., Cell Metabolism (2006), and Figure S1 Cunningham et al., Cell Metabolism (2012).

eLife

The illustration offers no specific justification for making this assumption over any other regarding the site of manufacture, but Quality King cannot be "clearly irreconcilable" with our precedent even if the decision merely permits assumptions that are consistent with that precedent.

Harvard University

The Court correctly says that pre- Gant Eleventh Circuit precedent had held that a Gant- type search was constitutional; hence the police conduct in this case, consistent with that precedent, was "innocent". Ante, at 10.

Cornell University

The interpretation I suggest would be consistent with our precedent.

Harvard University

Such an ap-proach is consistent with our precedent, and it would indeed affect no more than "an exceedingly small set of cases". Ante, at 18.

Cornell University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In legal writing, specifying the jurisdiction whose precedent you are following further strengthens the argument. For example, 'consistent with Supreme Court precedent'.

Common error

Avoid using "consistent with precedent" when the action or decision is only generally aligned with past practices. Ensure there is a direct and specific link to established precedents to maintain accuracy and avoid misrepresentation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "consistent with precedent" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun, indicating that something aligns with established practices or previous decisions. As Ludwig AI highlights, the phrase is grammatically correct and frequently used in formal contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Academia

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "consistent with precedent" is a grammatically sound and useful expression, primarily employed in legal, academic, and formal settings to denote alignment with established practices and prior rulings. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's a correct and usable phrase in written English. Its formality makes it suitable for professional and scholarly discourse, while its presence in news media makes the expression more relevant for everyday readers. While alternatives like "in accordance with prior rulings" and "aligned with established case law" exist, "consistent with precedent" remains a clear and authoritative way to express adherence to established norms. It's crucial to ensure a specific link to established precedents to avoid overgeneralization.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in accordance with prior rulings

Focuses on legal decisions and judgments as the basis for consistency, emphasizing judicial alignment.

aligned with established case law

Emphasizes the body of law formed by past judicial decisions, suggesting adherence to legal principles.

following previous legal standards

Highlights adherence to established benchmarks in the legal field, focusing on the maintenance of norms.

in keeping with historical practice

Stresses the continuity of current actions with past customs and habits, broader than just legal settings.

matching existing jurisprudence

Indicates a parallel with the established principles and philosophy of law, emphasizing theoretical agreement.

adhering to established norms

Highlights conformity to the customary rules and behaviors within a specific field or context, can be any field not just law.

reflective of past decisions

Focuses on the current action mirroring or being indicative of prior choices or judgments.

maintaining continuity with past actions

Emphasizes preserving a consistent sequence of behaviors or decisions over time, highlighting unbroken succession.

in agreement with judicial history

Highlights being in accordance with the chronological development of legal interpretations and rulings.

consistent with established practice

This alternative loses its legal nuance. It refers to an adherence to a standard procedure that isn't necessarily legal.

FAQs

How can I use "consistent with precedent" in a sentence?

Use "consistent with precedent" to indicate that a current action, decision, or ruling aligns with established legal or procedural history. For example, "The court's ruling was "consistent with precedent", reinforcing the importance of following established legal standards."

What are some alternatives to "consistent with precedent"?

You can use alternatives like "in accordance with prior rulings", "aligned with established case law", or "following previous legal standards" depending on the specific context.

In what contexts is "consistent with precedent" typically used?

"Consistent with precedent" is commonly used in legal, academic, and formal contexts. It is used when discussing legal decisions, scholarly arguments, or formal procedures that are in line with established practices or prior rulings. News media also reports on situations "consistent with precedent".

What does it mean for a legal decision to be "consistent with precedent"?

When a legal decision is "consistent with precedent", it means that the decision aligns with and follows the principles and rulings established in previous similar cases. This ensures that the law is applied uniformly and predictably. It can be also referred to as "stare decisis".