What is the doctrine of res judicata?

The doctrine of res judicata (also known as claim preclusion) is a rule of civil procedure that prevents a person from bringing a second lawsuit based on the same claim that was previously litigated or could have been litigated in the first lawsuit. In South Carolina, if a court of competent jurisdiction renders a judgment on the merits of a case, that judgment is binding and conclusive on the parties and their privies in all other courts in the same state. This means that the parties cannot bring the same claim in a different court and a contrary judgment cannot be rendered unless there is new evidence or new legal issues to consider. The purpose of res judicata is to ensure that legal proceedings are concluded and that parties are protected from having to litigate the same disputes multiple times. In South Carolina, if a party believes that res judicata should prevent a case from proceeding, the party can file a motion to dismiss the case based on that claim. If the court determines that the doctrine of res judicata should apply, the court will dismiss the case and the parties will not be able to proceed with the lawsuit.

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What is the doctrine of res judicata?

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