After the facts the opinion will then discuss the law. Many opinions present the law in two stages. The first stage discusses the general principles of law that are relevant to cases such as the one the court is deciding. This section might explore the history of a particular field of law or may include a discussion of past cases (known as precedents) that are related to the case the court is deciding. This part of the opinion gives the reader background to help understand the context and significance of the court’s decision.
The second stage of the legal section applies the general legal principles to the particular facts of the dispute. This part is in many ways the heart of the opinion: It gets to the bottom line of why the court is ruling for one side and against the other.
