What Does The Word Precedent Mean?

I'm from university of the lompopo, I'll like to share my idias with  you about the  word precedent
precedent is the previous cases from high and the constitutional court which are used as the examples when make  another  judgement. For  example: If you  make a delict or commit crime of murder, the judge is going to visit the previous cases (or  precedent) of murder to see how many years had given to the person who committed to that crime and do the same judgment.