Concept of res judicata

Context:

• The Madras High Court, in a recent development, has dismissed a petition by invoking the principle of res judicata, which essentially means that the matter in question has already been adjudicated upon and cannot be raised again in a court of law.

About

• Res judicata is a legal principle that has its origins in the English Common Law System.
• The term ‘res judicata’ literally translates to ‘the thing has been judged’.
• The principle of res judicata comes into play when a person attempts to file a subsequent lawsuit on the same matter after having received a judgment in a previous case involving the same parties.
• This principle applies to both civil and criminal legal systems, and prevents the courts from allowing a petition to be filed on the same issue before them.
• The purpose of res judicata is to prevent injustice to the parties involved in a case, and to avoid wasting resources and time of the judicial system on matters that have already been decided.