What is res judicata and collateral estoppel?

Res judicata and collateral estoppel are two doctrines found in civil procedure law in Mississippi. Res judicata, also known as claim preclusion, is the legal principle that prohibits a party from re-litigating an issue that has already been decided by a court. The purpose of res judicata is to ensure finality in judgments and prevent parties from repeatedly filing the same lawsuit. Collateral estoppel is closely related to res judicata, but is slightly different. Collateral estoppel prevents parties from re-litigating issues that have already been decided in a previous case. The main difference between collateral estoppel and res judicata is that collateral estoppel applies only to the facts of the previous case, not necessarily the conclusion of the case. The application of both doctrines can be seen in some of Mississippi’s civil litigation. In order for res judicata or collateral estoppel to be applied, the parties involved must raise the issues in the later case that were already decided in the previous case. If the facts of the two cases are substantially similar, then the court may apply one of the doctrines to prevent any further litigation of the issue. These doctrines are important to ensure that justice is served and the same issue is not re-litigated multiple times. Res judicata and collateral estoppel promote efficiency within the court system, by allowing courts to refuse to hear a case based on a prior decision, preventing possibly years of litigation on the same issue.

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What is res judicata and collateral estoppel?

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