A dissenting opinion (or dissent) is an opinion in a legal case made by one or more judges in various legal systems expressing disagreement with the majority view of the court that gives birth to its verdict. This can also be referred to as a minority report when it does not necessarily pertain to a legal ruling. In some countries, dissents are given greater weight than in others. Dissenting opinions are important because they show that different judges reading the same law may come to different conclusions about what the law is.