Los precedentes judiciales en el derecho constitucional colombiano

The rule of precedent is the norm of legal systems that defines the normative functioning of judicial precedents. Judicial precedents are general and abstract norms originating from a judicial decision. Taking as an example the way in which the rule of precedent has been configured in Colombian constitutional law, the objective of this article is to analyze different types of judicial precedents and, in this context, to clarify the notion of ratio decidendi. The work distinguishes between judicial precedent in the broad sense that refers to the general and abstract norms of judicial origin that, by virtue of the rule of precedent, are mandatory or binding; and the judicial precedent in the strict sense that designates the ratio decidendi of judicial decisions. Then the precedent in the strict sense is analyzed, explaining the models of construction of the ratio decidendi, its configuration as a legal norm, and the elements for its identification.