Legal Definitions - judicial dictum

Definition: A statement made by a judge in a court case that is not necessary to the decision but is considered authoritative because of the judge's position.

For example, if a judge is deciding a case about a car accident, but also makes a statement about the importance of wearing seat belts, that statement would be a judicial dictum. It is not necessary to the decision about the car accident, but because it was said by a judge, it may be considered authoritative.

It is important to note that a judicial dictum is not the same as the decision in a court case. The decision is the ruling made by the judge that determines the outcome of the case. A judicial dictum is an additional statement made by the judge that is not necessary to the decision.

Lawyers may sometimes speak of a dictum in a negative way, but it is important to remember that dicta can still be correct and useful to the legal profession.