res judicata
- Noun:
- A matter already settled in court; cannot be raised again: "Res judicata" is a legal principle stating that a final judgment on the merits by a competent court is conclusive and prevents the same parties from re-litigating the same claim or cause of action in a subsequent lawsuit.
- Noun:
- The defendant's motion to dismiss was granted based on the doctrine of res judicata.
- Once the court issued its final judgment, the principle of res judicata barred any further claims on that issue.
"Claim preclusion": This is a synonymous term often used interchangeably with "res judicata" in many jurisdictions to describe the same concept.
- The court applied claim preclusion, finding the matter was res judicata.
"Issue preclusion (collateral estoppel)": A related but distinct doctrine. While "res judicata" (claim preclusion) bars the entire claim, "issue preclusion" bars re-litigation of specific issues already decided.
- Res judicata prevented the new lawsuit, while issue preclusion prevented them from arguing the same factual point.
Adjective Form: "Res judicata" is primarily used as a noun. The concept is often described with the phrase "is res judicata."
- The matter is now res judicata.
Legal Maxim: The full Latin maxim is "res judicata pro veritate accipitur," meaning "a matter adjudged is accepted as truth."
- Claim preclusion: The modern, functional synonym in legal terminology.
- Matter adjudged: A direct English translation of the Latin term.
Barred by res judicata: A common legal phrase used to describe the effect of the doctrine.
- The plaintiff's attempt to file a new suit was barred by res judicata.
Final judgment on the merits: A key prerequisite for "res judicata" to apply.
- For res judicata to attach, there must first be a final judgment on the merits.
- a matter already settled in court; cannot be raised again