1  Judicial decision-making and logical reasoning

Law is sometimes described as a system of practical reasoning that involves the application of a logical set of steps based on applying the law to a factual scenario to reach a decision. The rules of statutory interpretation and the principle of the doctrine of binding precedent create the impression that judicial decision-making involves processing outcomes that are largely determined by logic. But is this actually the case?

Logical reasoning helps inform judicial reasoning and decision-making. Here you explore logical reasoning before considering how closely logical reasoning and judicial reasoning resemble one another.