precedentism; reliance on precedent
Often used critically to describe an organization or person that insists on following past examples rather than innovating or adapting.
You can't deal with new problems by just following precedent.
I'm fed up with the bureaucracy's reliance on precedent.
前例 means 'precedent' itself; 前例主義 is the attitude or principle of sticking to precedent.
慣例 is a customary practice; 前例主義 emphasizes a rigid adherence to past examples, often with a negative nuance.
Compound of 前例 (precedent) + 主義 (principle, -ism). A relatively modern term, likely coined to describe bureaucratic or conservative mindsets.