Ratio decidendi vs. obiter dicta

Ratio decidendi refers to the essential legal principle or rule that a court's decision is based on; it’s the binding part of a judgment that guides future cases. Obiter dicta, on the other hand, are comments or observations made by the judge that are not crucial to the decision and do not have binding authority. In simple terms, ratio decidendi is the core legal reason behind a verdict, while obiter dicta are additional remarks that may influence thinking but aren’t legally binding.