How does the "slippery slope" argument affect decisions made by the courts?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Perhaps you have heard of the slippery-slope argument, which means, essentially, that use of an argument in one case will allow application of that same argument in innumerable other cases. The metaphor is used to show that once you take the first step, it is too easy to fall down the slippery slope to the bottom of the hill, presumably into a morass of undesirable outcomes. The slippery-slope argument is, in essence, an administrative concern. A court fears that if it finds negligence on behalf of the sympathetic plaintiff before it, hundreds of thousands of similarly situated individuals or those whose situations are analogous to the case will also seek redress. The precedential effect of arguments regarding physician-assisted suicide, racial composition of juries, and the use of marijuana for medical purposes are among the many slippery-slope issues considered by the courts.