Which term refers to a matter previously settled in court?

The term that refers to a matter previously settled in court is "res judicata." This legal principle establishes that once a court has issued a final judgment on a matter, the same parties cannot bring another lawsuit based on the same claim or cause of action. The doctrine is rooted in the idea of finality and judicial efficiency, ensuring that disputes are resolved conclusively and that the same issue is not litigated multiple times.

This principle not only protects the parties from being harassed by repeated litigation over the same issue but also promotes the integrity of the judicial system by preventing conflicting judgments. In practice, when a judgment is rendered, it becomes binding for the parties involved, which helps to uphold the rule of law and encourages litigants to bring all their claims at once rather than piecemeal.

The other terms unrelated to previously settled matters include "redundant," which denotes unnecessary repetition; "reply," which refers to a response to a pleading; and "res ipsa loquitur," a doctrine used in tort law that infers negligence from the very nature of an accident or injury, without direct evidence of how a defendant acted. Understanding these differences is key to grasping the broader concepts of legal terminology and principles within a courtroom context.