What is res judicata?

• A. Judicial review of lower court decisions.
• B. Claim preclusion; once a final judgment on the merits is entered, related claims arising from the same transaction cannot be relitigated.
• C. A negotiation technique.
• D. Partial relief granted in a case.

Answer: (B)

Res judicata means claim preclusion. It bars relitigation of the same claim or related claims after a final judgment on the merits has been entered. Once the court has issued a final ruling on the dispute, you can’t bring another suit against the same parties (or their privies) based on the same transaction or core nucleus of facts, even if you could have asserted the claim in the first suit. This rule promotes finality and judicial efficiency, preventing inconsistent outcomes and wasting resources.

For res judicata to apply, you typically need three things: a final judgment on the merits, identity of parties or their privies, and a claim that arises from the same transaction or set of facts as the prior action. The idea is that once a case reaches a conclusive end on the main issues, there’s no need to reopen related disputes.

Other descriptions refer to different principles or concepts—judicial review concerns examining the legality of lower court decisions, a negotiation technique is about settlements, and partial relief describes remedies that aren’t the complete resolution of a case.