A judicracy (alternatively juridicary, from judicial and juridical - "of or relating to judicial proceedings and the administration of the law") is a rare form of government whereby judges, referred to as judicials, hold political and governing power in society. This form of government is also commonly referred to as "rule by precedent" as most judicratic states adhere to the doctrine of stare decisis, while the other minority of states operate by "patternless rule", where precedent is irrelevant. Judicracy can be described as a subsidiary system of oligarchy as it is customary for there to be a small elite unit of judges, commonly referred to as the Supreme Court, which make out the top part of the power structure and hierarchy.