res judicata
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌrɛz dʒuˈdɪkəˌtɑ/
- Formal
:
cosa juzgada
- The judge dismissed the case due to the principle of res judicata, meaning the issue had already been settled in court.
Examples
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Evidentiary rules and res judicata principles together pose the risk that courts may subject evidence of domestic violence to disparate scrutiny, depending on the timing and nature of the proceeding.
Academic text (2016) -
The court further found that the EPA was prohibited from attempting to assess civil penalties by res judicata as well.
Academic text (1999) -
Because some states give presumptive effect to previous findings of domestic violence, it is important to reconsider the extent to which findings in earlier proceedings should have a res judicata effect on later custody cases.
Academic text (2016) -
As to res judicata, that assumes a *final* judicial determination that the program was in fact legal (as opposed to the present bill's language assertion, a legislative assertion that immunity is available just because *someone* told them that it was legal).
Blog text (17) -
In legal disputes, res judicata prevents parties from relitigating matters that have already been adjudicated.
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Understanding res judicata is crucial for lawyers, as it affects whether a case can be pursued again.
Synonyms
A matter already decided by a court that cannot be tried again between the same people
Surface Forms
Morphology
res + judicata
This is a fixed Latin legal formula rather than a compositional English phrase: the constituents ('res', 'judicata') are not common English vocabulary and their literal meanings in Latin do not give a clear, predictable legal sense to a B1 learner. Because it functions as a specialized, technical term meaning 'a matter already adjudicated', its meaning is language-specific and not transparently derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Res judicata comes from Latin words res meaning 'thing' and judicata meaning 'judged'. Imagine a judge stamping a court file 'decided' so it cannot be opened again, and so res judicata means 'a matter already decided'.