Idiom
hand down somethinghand down (something)
1.
to give something to a younger member of a family.
Fewer and fewer small farms are handed down from one generation to the next.My grandfather handed his toy trains down to my father.
Usage notes: sometimes said about people who are not related:
He believes that confidence cannot be handed down from your coach or anyone else.
2.
to announce a decision in a trial.
After a three-month trial, the jury handed down a guilty verdict.
Related vocabulary: hands down
Etymology: both meanings come from the idea of someone older or in authority literally handing something to someone smaller or less important