Comparative law notes
In the Brazilian legal system, lower courts are usually not bound by the holdings of higher courts. However, in Brazil we have the so-called "súmulas vínculantes", which are roughly comparable to binding precedents. A "súmula vinculante" is issued by the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) based on repeated decisions handed down by it in similar cases. When issued, a "súmula vinculante" is binding, which means that it must be followed by all other courts.
