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LDC-W2705 — Two precedents pulling one case both ways

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# LDC-W2705 — Two precedents pulling one case both ways

## What it means

A precedent applies past decisions to a new case by analogy: the factors
that won there decide here. When two precedents of the same factors speak
to the same shape of case and their outcomes point opposite ways, one case
would oblige both ways — follow the first and you break the second. The
engine warns at the later precedent instead of picking a winner silently.

The warning is about the pair, not a flaw in either precedent alone. To
clear it, distinguish the cases: narrow a factor set so the two no longer
cover the same ground, or record which precedent controls when both match.
An undecided contradiction left standing will resurface every time the pair
is loaded together.

## Example

```law
language "law.core" version "0.2";
package demo.diagnostics version "0.1.0";
namespace "urn:law:demo:diagnostics";

entity Case;
relation signed(c: Case) kind institutional;
relation disclosed(c: Case) kind institutional;
relation liable(c: Case) kind institutional;

factors Contract {
    for c: Case;
    domain signed(c), disclosed(c), liable(c);
    plaintiff signed;
    defendant disclosed;
}

precedent P1 of Contract {
    court CourtA;
    decided @2020-01-01;
    plaintiff signed;
    defendant disclosed;
    outcome liable(c);
}

precedent P2 of Contract {
    court CourtA;
    decided @2021-01-01;
    plaintiff signed;
    defendant disclosed;
    outcome not liable(c);
}
```

## Fix

```law
language "law.core" version "0.2";
package demo.diagnostics version "0.1.0";
namespace "urn:law:demo:diagnostics";

entity Case;
relation signed(c: Case) kind institutional;
relation disclosed(c: Case) kind institutional;
relation liable(c: Case) kind institutional;

factors Contract {
    for c: Case;
    domain signed(c), disclosed(c), liable(c);
    plaintiff signed;
    defendant disclosed;
}

precedent P1 of Contract {
    court CourtA;
    decided @2020-01-01;
    plaintiff signed;
    defendant disclosed;
    outcome liable(c);
}
```

## Engine message

The engine reports this in its own wording:

```text
example.law:17:11: warning LDC-W2705: precedents P1 and P2 contradict each other: one case would oblige both ways (§276.8)
```

## Related

- [Argue precedent](/constructs/argue-precedent/) — how precedents decide new cases.