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Test case (law)
Case brought to set a legal precedent From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In case law, a test case is a lawsuit whose purpose is to establish an important legal principle or right and to set a precedent.[1] Test cases are brought to court with the intention of challenging, interpreting, or receiving clarification on a present law, regulation, or constitutional principle.[2] Government agencies sometimes bring test cases to confirm or expand their powers.[3] The outcome of test cases has a wide public significance as it shapes future rulings.[4]
 | The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and the English-speaking world and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (March 2025) |
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (May 2024) |
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Examples
Examples of influential test cases include:
- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
- Tennessee v. Scopes (1925)
- United States v. One Book Called Ulysses (1933)
- Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
- Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
- Oneida Indian Nation of N.Y. State v. Oneida County (1974)
- Adams v Cape Industries plc (1990)
- Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (1992)
- National Westminster Bank plc v Spectrum Plus Limited (2005)
- District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
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See also
- Case of first impression
- Leading case
- Uncommon Law, or Misleading Cases in the Common Law, by A. P. Herbert; still further misleading case
References
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