Res judicata

Res judicata means that a final decision has binding effect and may bar renewed litigation. In Swiss law, the concept appears as the material finality of judgments and the prohibition on deciding the same matter again between the same parties. Its scope depends on the operative part of the decision, the claims asserted and, in some contexts, the essential issues necessarily decided. The doctrine protects legal certainty, procedural economy and reliance on judgments. It must be distinguished from mere persuasive authority of earlier cases and from procedural deadlines for appeal.