Obiter Dictum Law and Legal Definition
Obiter dictum (plural obiter dicta) is an opinion or a remark made by a judge which does not form a necessary part of the court's decision. The word obiter dicta is a Latin word which means “things said by the way.” Obiter dicta can be passing comments, opinions or examples provided by a judge. Statements constituting obiter dicta are therefore not binding. For example, if a court dismisses a case due to lack of jurisdiction and offers opinions on merits of a case, then these opinions constitutes obiter dicta.
