What is the doctrine of collateral estoppel?

Collateral estoppel is a legal doctrine in Virginia and other U.S. states that prevents a party from relitigating an issue that has already been litigated and decided in a prior case involving the same parties. The purpose of collateral estoppel is to prevent someone from raising the same issue again when it has already been definitively decided in a prior case, even if the new case involves different issues or causes of action. This means that a litigant in a civil case cannot use the same issue to challenge a court’s prior decision in a related case. The doctrine of collateral estoppel is based on the principle that it is unconscionable for one party to "split its case in order to obtain multiple determinations of the same issue." In other words, the doctrine of collateral estoppel prevents a party from attempting to use different legal avenues to have a court re-examine an issue that has already been decided in a prior court proceeding. This can help prevent the misuse of legal processes and reduce court costs associated with the relitigation of the same issue.

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What is the doctrine of collateral estoppel?

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