O

Latin. Thing said in passing. An opinion given incidentally. In the course of pronouncing their decision in a case before them, judges sometimes give opinions incidentally on points -which may have been raised, but not being essential to the case, have not been fully discussed or weighed. Such opinions are called obiter dicta; they are not considered as authoritative, nor would they be received as such by the Court, if the question on which they had been expressed came up at a subsequent period for judgment. They are only of importance commensurate with the reputation of the judge delivering them.