Under what principle can legal cases not be re-tried once a decision has been made?

The principle that prevents legal cases from being retried after a decision has been made is known as res judicata. This legal doctrine asserts that once a court has rendered a final judgment on a matter, the same parties cannot re-litigate the issue in a subsequent proceeding. The purpose of this principle is to promote judicial efficiency and ensure the finality of decisions, thereby preventing endless litigation over the same issue.

Res judicata applies to both civil and criminal cases, asserting that once a matter has been conclusively judged, it should not be reopened in a future case, thereby protecting individuals from the burden and potential injustice of facing the same claims or defenses repeatedly. This principle fosters reliance on judicial determinations and helps maintain the integrity of the legal system.

Double jeopardy, while also related to the idea of preventing retrials, specifically applies to criminal law, meaning that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime after an acquittal or conviction. Statutory interpretation involves the analysis of legislation to determine its meaning and application, while collateral estoppel prevents parties from re-litigating specific factual issues determined in a previous case. Res judicata, however, is the most comprehensive in the context of barring the re-litigation of entire cases