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Simple English definitions for legal terms
seriatim opinions
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A quick definition of seriatim opinions:
Seriatim opinions are a bunch of opinions written by each judge on the bench, instead of just one opinion for the whole court. An opinion is a written statement explaining a court's decision in a case, including the facts, points of law, rationale, and dicta. There are different types of opinions, such as majority, dissenting, and per curiam opinions. Some opinions are binding, while others are not. A legal opinion is a written document in which an attorney provides their understanding of the law as applied to assumed facts.A more thorough explanation:
Seriatim opinions are a series of opinions written individually by each judge on the bench, as opposed to a single opinion speaking for the court as a whole. These opinions are usually found in appellate courts, where each judge writes their own opinion on the case instead of agreeing on a single opinion.
For example, in a case where three judges are hearing an appeal, each judge may write their own opinion on the case, explaining their reasoning and decision. This can result in three different opinions on the same case, which can be confusing for lawyers and litigants.
Seriatim opinions are different from majority opinions, where more than half of the judges agree on a single opinion, and dissenting opinions, where one or more judges disagree with the majority opinion.