The movement towards data protection and data privacy has been an international topic. For example, in South Africa, POPIA regulates the lawful processing of personal information as the General Data Protection Regulation regulates Europe. In countries like South Africa, the courts play a pivotal role in developing the practicalities and application of law in a societal context. What is the principle of stare decisis, and how does it command South African courts to respect decisions already made in a given area of the law?