What is res judicata and collateral estoppel?

Res judicata and collateral estoppel are two principles of civil procedure in Maryland. Res judicata, also known as claim preclusion, is a legal doctrine which prevents parties from relitigating a claim or issue once a court has passed a judgment on it. This doctrine applies when the same parties are involved, the same issue has been litigated before, and a valid judgment was issued. The main purpose of res judicata is to provide finality to the court system by preventing the same claims from being litigated in a futility. Collateral estoppel, also known as issue preclusion, is the legal principle that a court may bar any party from raising an issue if it has already been addressed and decided in a prior legal proceeding. For example, if a court has determined that a person was negligent in a previous case, the court may hold the same person negligent in a later case involving the same facts, even if the two cases are technically unrelated. Together, res judicata and collateral estoppel help to prevent parties from raising the same issues and keep courts from having to waste time and resources litigating the same matter again. These two principles help ensure that court proceedings are efficient and that justice can be served in a timely manner.

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What is res judicata and collateral estoppel?

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