Define: Per Curiam

“Per curiam” is a Latin term meaning “by the court.” It signifies that a decision or opinion is rendered collectively by the court as a whole, rather than by a specific judge or justice.

A decision may be issued as per curiam when the court’s judgment is unanimous, and no individual justice or judge wishes to take credit or responsibility for writing the opinion.

Per curiam decisions are often brief and lack detailed reasoning or analysis, as they typically involve straightforward matters or issues where the law is well-established and unanimous among the court.

Yes, per curiam decisions can set legal precedent, particularly when they are issued by appellate courts or higher-level courts, although they may carry less precedential weight than decisions accompanied by authored opinions.

Per curiam decisions differ from authored opinions in that they do not bear the name of a specific judge or justice, and they are often shorter and less detailed in their reasoning and analysis.

Yes, per curiam decisions are binding on lower courts to the extent that they establish legal precedent applicable to the issues or principles addressed in the decision.

In most cases, parties cannot appeal per curiam decisions, as they represent the final judgment of the court on the matter unless there are procedural irregularities or constitutional issues.

Per curiam decisions are commonly issued in cases involving routine procedural matters, uncontroversial legal principles, or issues where the law is well-settled and unanimous among the court.

Dissenting opinions are not typically issued in per curiam decisions, as they reflect unanimous agreement among the court’s members. However, individual justices or judges may issue separate concurrences or dissents if they disagree with the decision.