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Opinions Law & Legal Definition

In the context of a legal decision, an opinion is a written explanation of the law and facts in a case and the reasoning applied to them to reach a determination by the court. When there is more than one judge, the majority of judges' opinion is the one that establishes the ultimate outcome and legal precedent. A dissenting or minority opinion disagrees with the outcome of the majority opinion. One or more judges may agree with the majority opinion's outcome or with the dissenting opinion, but for different reasons, or from a different viewpoint, and express this in a concurring opinion.





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