B. A judicial decision that significantly changes existing law.
Listen to pronunciationNote - You will also see landmark case and landmark judgment. Both mean the same as landmark decision and signify a very important court ruling.
Legal Definition -
A judicial decision that significantly changes existing law. Black's Law Dictionary® Eighth Edition © 2004
Recent Usage -
"The Supreme Court has ruled that the Bush administration's decision to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay in military war tribunals is illegal. In Hamdan v. Rumsfeld the Court ruled that the military commissions do not comply with U.S. military law, the laws of war, or the Geneva Conventions, which protect the rights of detainees during wartime. The landmark decision marks the second time the country's highest court has ruled to check the power of the executive branch in its execution of the war on terror. In 2004's Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, the Court ruled the White House does not have a 'blank check' to indefinitely hold and deny legal access to detainees who are U.S. citizens. The Hamdan decision is expected to have even more far-reaching consequences for the 450 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, which has emerged as a lightning rod of criticism for human rights advocates." The impact of Hamdam v. Rumsfeld by Lionel Beehner June 29th, 2006
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