term:

Dictum

dictum n

pl: dic·ta [-tə]
[Latin, utterance, from neuter of dictus, past participle of dicere to say]
: a view expressed by a judge in an opinion on a point not necessarily arising from or involved in a case or necessary for determining the rights of the parties involved called also obiter dictum compare holding, judgment, precedent, stare decisis NOTE: Dicta have persuasive value in making an argument, but they are not binding as precedent.

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.