Which statement best describes obiter dicta?

• A. It is binding on future cases.
• B. It is central to the decision.
• C. It is remarks not essential to the decision and not binding but persuasive.
• D. It describes the factual background of the case.

Answer: (C)

Obiter dicta are remarks made by a judge in a case that are not essential to the outcome. They aren’t binding on future cases, but they can be persuasive because they offer comments on how the law might apply in other situations. The part of a judgment that is binding is the ratio decidendi—the rule that actually decides the case. So the description that obiter dicta are remarks not essential to the decision and not binding but persuasive best captures their role. The other statements aren’t accurate: obiter dicta aren’t binding, they aren’t the central basis for the decision, and they aren’t simply a description of the case’s factual background.